CREATIVITY,
INVENTION &
INNOVATION
Creativity is…
Types of creativity

BIG C
 Sublime creativity
 Prime creativity

Small c
 Everyday
creativity
 Minor creativity

BIG C
Creative individual
 Leonardo da Vinci, al-Jazari, P. Ramlee, Sun-Tzu,
Nicola Tesla, Edison, Einstein e.g.
 Creative organisation
 Sun System, ICI, Seiko, Microsoft, BMW, MG, Boeing,
Coca Cola, McDonald, Toyota, HP, Arthur Anderson,
MAN, MOTOROLA, DELL, AT&T, CNN, NABISCO e.g.
 Creative country
 USA, Finland, Singapore, Luxembourg, Sweden,
Ireland, Holland, UK, Iceland e.g.
(Global Competitiveness Report 2000)
Small c
 Everybody


Traditional Thinking vs Innovative Thinking
Thinking Paradigm
Old Thinking
Innovative Thinking
National Focus
Globally Driven
Growth Drivers
Labor/Capital
Knowledge/Creativity
Workers skills
Job Specific
Broad/Cross Training
Degree/Job Skills
Lifelong Learning
Hierarchical
Networked & Horizontal
Stable
Dynamic & Changing
Mass Production
Fluid & Flexible
Lower Priority
Constant & High Profile
Mechanized
Digitalized
Lower Cost/Efficiency
Innovation, High Quality
& Speed
Competition
Education
Organization Structure
Markets
Production
Research
Technology Drivers
Competitive Advantage
Larry R. Williams (2002) in 8 Windows to Creative Thinking
Innovation is…
“Innovation is a process by which new information emerges
and is concretized in a product that meets human needs”.
(Nonaka & Kenney, 1991)
“…is the process of taking a creative idea and turning it into a
useful product, service, or method of operation”
(Stephen & David, 2001)
“Innovating is a process of changing, experimenting,
transforming, revolutionizing…”
(Robins & Coulter, 2002)
“Innovation is the process of generating something new and
viable that adds ‘value’ to an individual, organization or
society”
(Ed Benacki, 2002)
“Innovation is typically thought of as putting creative ideas to
work. In the world of business, it connotes a new product or
service or process by which an enterprise can make
money or save money. In the world of science, innovators
are often seen as those scientists and researchers who can
convert a new substances or a new finding into a
commercially viable product. Innovation has always been
one of the key engines or growth for commerce and
industry”.
(Janszen, 2000)
“Innovations means taking new ideas and turning them into
corporate and marketplace”
(Jeff & Richard, 2003)
“Innovation refers to the process of bringing any new, problem
solving idea into use. Ideas for reorganizing, cutting costs,
putting in new budgetary systems, improving
communication or assembling products teams are also
innovations.”
(Kanter, 1983)
Objective of INNOVATION
COST
QUALITY
PERFORMANCE

1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
Improvement.
Additional.
New
Alan G. Robinson & Sam Stern (1998). Corporate Creativity: How
Innovation & Improvement Actually Happen.
Type of INNOVATION
1. SOCIAL INNOVATION
Efficiency innovation - Kwik-Fit (tyre & exhaust
service), Toyota & JIT, Benetton & ‘colourless
fabric’, Ramly Burger & small outlet etc.
2. TECHNICAL INNOVATION

Evolutionary innovation (incremental) - RAM,
mobile phone etc.

Revolutionary innovation (radical) - new RAM,
new xerox machine etc.
Additional reading: Clayton M. Christensen (2000).
Innovation & The General Manager.
Invention
• Invenire - exist; Invent - to create.
• Lorraine (1997): “Invention is the process through
which something is produced or constructed by
original thought.”
• Braun (1998): “An invention is a novel technological
idea that need never reach production or the market.”
• Bell (2001): “Invention is science-driven, and today
ultimately derives from the codification of theoretical
knowledge, and from the the unfolding logic of
technology, such as miniaturization, greater speeds,
use of and adaptation to new materials etc.”
Type of INVENTION
1. Concrete product.
•
The product could be observed.
•
Commersialised.
•
e.g. TV, biodegradable plastic bag etc.
2. Abstract product.
•
Social invention.
•
The ‘products’ include formula, method,
strategy, tactic etc.
•
e.g. Hypermarket, OMO, TnG,
Kre8tvtea , Invention &
Innovation
Risks & Unknown Territory
Richard Fobes (1999), The Creative Problem Solver