GULU UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
CREATIVITY, INNOVATION & CHANGE
ASSESSMENT OF 10 “METAL LOCKS” THAT LIMITS INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY
Article by Okidi Walter 17/U/2624/MBA, Elem Patrick 17/U/2597/MBA, Alum Nancy 17/U/2587/MBA
(March, 2019)
Assessment of 10 “metal locks” that limits individual creativity
Article by Okidi Walter 17/U/2624/MBA, Elem Patrick 17/U/2597/MBA, Alum Nancy 17/U/2587/MBA (2019)
Abstract.
Creativity is one of the most important factors that should be appreciated by all the individual since it ignites change
and causes development at the individual and organization level. In this era, to maintain the status quo individual need
to survive and thrive in the current novel to give continuity to the stagnation and corruption be prevented. Creativity is
the ability and power to deliver new ideas, using innovative ideas. Creativity and innovation improve the level of any
discussion of management that can help individuals improve the quality and quantity. In spites of the significant value
of creativity to individual, there are individual barriers that limits it individual from being innovative and creative, it is
therefore vital that the factors or barriers that may limit individual creativity are identified by every individual and
recommendation are drawn to address them. This paper therefore investigates the “metal locks” that limits individual
creativity.
Introduction
In order for individual to survive and continue with the constructive role, there is need for positive thoughts, ideas that
are fresh and new perspective to get new ideas and theories based on field research. The importance of human
resources involved in the issue of organizational goals is undeniable, especially a form of creative participation is very
important for solving organizational problems. Due to the increasingly competitive environment among the various
individuals and industrial sectors, there is need to develop competitive and creativity thinking in different organizations.
Method
The problem in research paper was investigated based on the different published research reports and academic
journals and group discussion. We used this method because there was no time to go to field to get first-hand
information and also looking at the nature of our research.
The data was obtained from secondary sources mostly from academic journal and articles. We have decided to use
this method because we needed to understand debate of other scholars concerning metal locks that limits individual
creativity.
Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. It requires passion and commitment that brings to our
awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. In other word creativity is the act of turning new and
imaginative ideas into reality. It is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns,
to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. Creativity involves two
processes: thinking, then producing.(Press and Academy 2013)
Creativity is a combinatorial force that is to say it’s our ability to tap into our inner pool of resources like; knowledge,
insight, information, inspiration and all the fragments populating our minds that we have accumulated over the years
just by being present and alive and awake to the world and to combine them in extraordinary new ways.(Susnea 2014)
Creative thinking is necessary in many cases like when business manager is trying to solve a tough problem, start a
business, or write an article creative thinking is critical. People need to "think outside the box" when it comes to creative
thinking. Human being are such creatures of habit that do not like to think differently than others because they do not
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want to be thought of as strange or different. But it is those strange and different people that make a difference in this
world.(Jakic and Selander 2014)
Despite the fact that creativity is important in business development and management, we realize that there are factors
that limits creativity among which are explained as below:
When individual try to find the right answer, they limit their mind from being creative since their focus would be in one direction.
According to Vygotsky (1992), one of the worst aspects of formal education is the focus on the correct answer to a
particular question or problem, the approach helps us function in society, but it hurts creative thinking because real-life
issues are ambiguous. We also agree that there is often more than one correct answer, and the second one you come
up with might be better than the first. Many individual form mental blocks when looking for the right answer when more
than one answer is available.
Logical thinking also limits individual creativity, as we have seen above not only is there more than one right answer, in fact
life can be very illogical. Individuals who are logical thinker block minds from exploring other viable opportunities hence
limiting their ability to be creative. Individuals should think in metaphors and it will help them to communicate the illogical
things of life.
While critical thinking skills based on logic are one of our main strengths in evaluating the feasibility of a creative idea,
it is often the enemy of truly innovative thoughts in the first place. One of the best ways to escape the constraints of
your own logical mind is to think metaphorically. One of the reasons why metaphors work so well in communications
is that we accept them as true without thinking about it. When individual realize that truth is often symbolic, individuals
will often find that they are actually free to come up with alternatives.(Vygotsky 1992)
Rules are very important at times, but they can also be a destructive force and a mental block to creativity. People do
not like to think outside the rules. Many celebrate the rebels of life but few are brave enough to emulate them.
Anderson (2012) noted that one way to view creative thinking is to look at it as a destructive force. Individuals tearing
away the often-arbitrary rules that others have set, and asking either “why” or “why not” whenever confronted with the
way everyone does things.(Anderson 2012)
An attempt of being practical limit an individual thinking to be creative in any organization settings. Practicality is hugely important
when it comes to execution, but often stifles innovative ideas before they can properly blossom. I am a very practical
person. I will not do something if it does not have a practical use. This is good sometimes but it can also be a mental
block to creativity. Try to approach a problem with "what if" and go out and do the crazy thing instead of being so
practical.
Amabile (2012) mentioned that it is radicle not to evaluate the actual feasibility of an approach until you have allowed
it to exist on its own for a bit. According to Amabile, it is good to spend time asking “what if” as often as possible, and
simply allow your imagination to go where it wants. You might just find yourself discovering a crazy idea that is so
insanely practical that no one’s thought of it before.
When individual allow their minds to be at play, it stimulate creative thinking, and yet many people disassociate play
from work. These days, the people who can come up with great ideas and solutions are the most economically
rewarded, while worker bees are often employed for the benefit of the creative thinkers.
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Jakic and Selander (2014) expressed that it is good to work hard and play hard in order to come out with creative ideas
that enhance individual and organizational development.
Some people also assume by saying that certain job does not belong to them due to the rampant specialization and division of work
which also limit creativity in an organization. A statement always mentioned like “that is not my job” seriously block creativity. In an
era of hyper-specialization, it is those who happily explore completely unrelated areas of life and knowledge who best
see that everything is related. We live in a very specialized world and it is so easy for us to think, "that is not my job."
When you are in business for yourself and getting those creative juices flowing everything is your job.
Sharing ideas among individuals is considered to be important in fostering creativity but saying I am “a serious person”
limits creativity to an individual. Most of what keeps us civilized boils down to conformity, consistency, shared values, and
yes, thinking about things the same way everyone else does. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, but if you
can mentally accept that it is actually nothing more than groupthink that helps a society function, you can then give
yourself permission to turn everything that is accepted upside down and shake out the illusions.(Vygotsky 1992)
Avoiding ambiguity makes one not to think creatively in an organization. This is so because we rationally realize that all most
every situation is ambiguous to some degree. And although dividing complex situations into black and white boxes can
lead to disaster, we still do it. It is an innate characteristic of human psychology to desire certainty, but it is the creative
thinker who rejects the false comfort of clarity when it is not really appropriate.
According to Susnea (2014) Ambiguity is a friend if individual is looking to innovate. The fact that most people are
uncomfortable exploring uncertainty gives you an advantage, as long as you can embrace ambiguity rather than run
from it.
In both business and organization settings, most individual believe that being wrong is bad yet this limits creativity. Most individual
hate being wrong, and yet mistakes often teach us the most. Thomas Edison was wrong 1,800 times before getting
the light bulb right. Edison’s greatest strength was that he was not afraid to be wrong. The best thing we do is learn
from our mistakes, but we have to free ourselves to make mistakes in the first place (Press and Academy 2013).
Individual should just try out ideas and see what happens, take what they learn, and try something else.
The negative thinking by most individual that they not creative limits creativity in business. Denying your own creativity is
like denying you are a human being. We are all limitlessly creative, but only to the extent that we realize that we create
our own limits with the way we think. If you tell yourself you are not creative, it becomes true. It is better to stop that.
In that sense, awakening your own creativity is similar to the path reported by those who seek spiritual enlightenment.
You are already enlightened, just like you are already creative, but you have to strip away all of your delusions before
you can see it. Acknowledge that you are inherently creative, and then start tearing down the other barriers you have
allowed to be created in your mind.(Studies, Journal, and Studies 2012)
Conclusion
To survive, all individuals need new thoughts and ideas that are innovative and fresh. Creativity and innovation are so
mixed together that to give the definition independently of each is difficult. Creativity is the emergence of a new thought
while making practical innovations. The need of individual to this amazing phenomenon is very crucial to the survival
and continuity of the individual taking advantage of the creativity. Furthermore, the phenomenon of creativity is learning
and it can be established and reinforced in all individual and in guiding the organization and control.
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Reference
Amabile, Teresa M. 2012. “Componential Theory of Creativity.”
Anderson, Neil. 2012. “No Title.”
Jakic, Dijana, and Martin Selander. 2014. “Organizational Factors That Influence Creativity.”
Press, The M I T, and American Academy. 2013. “Scientific Views of Creativity and Factors Affecting Its Growth
Author ( S ): E . Paul Torrance Reviewed Work ( S ): Source : Daedalus , Vol . 94 , No . 3 , Creativity and
Learning ( Summer , 1965 ), Pp . 663-681 Published by : The MIT Press on Behalf of American Academy of
Arts & Sciences Stable URL : http://www.jstor.org/stable/20026936 . and Extend Access to Daedalus . Its
Growth of Creativity and Factors Affecting” 94 (3): 663–81.
Studies, Educational, British Journal, and Educational Studies. 2012. “THE LIMITS TO CREATIVITY IN
EDUCATION :” 51 (2): 113–27.
Susnea, Ioan. 2014. “FOSTERING CREATIVITY THROUGH EDUCATION – KEY FACTORS , AND ACTION
DIRECTIONS” 1 (1): 196–204.
Vygotsky, Lev. 1992. “Chapter 4 : Innovation and Creativity” 11 (page 54): 53–74.
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