Chapter IV
CREATIVITY AS A COGNITIVE ABILITY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Mª Luisa Sánchez Almagro, Enrique Trejo López
and Noelia Paredes Plaza
1. INTRODUCTION
This chapter tries to work away with the pupils at some knowledge,
but also some fundamental attitudes for the management of his or
her future company. In fact, Gigg defines the entrepreneur as "an
innovator and opportunist since he faces things that had not previously
been done or explored" (Gibb 1987). The very term refers
to "those people who start up new ventures thanks to their
initiative, decision and constancy to become businessmen and do
business".
Gilolo (1987) refers to entrepreneurs in terms of: Initiative,
flexibility, creativity, and imagination.
The creative personality must include:
- Tolerance of ambiguity
- Fluency of ideas
- Originality*
- Capacity for new definitions *
Consequently, we have to inculcate in the entrepreneurs the precise
abilities they need to develop their innovation capacity and adaptation
(to the changes and demands of the environment).
The objectives that pursues the present chapter are the following:
- To Value the importance of having an innovative and feasible
idea to create a company.
- To Know the lines to generate and value the idea of company.
- To analyse the difference between the concepts of creativity,
innovation and adaptation.
- To become aware that everyone can be innovative and can acquire
and improve his or her creativity and adaptation capacity.
- To Analyse the factors that will allow us to be more innovative
by learning which are the characteristics of creativity.
- To Know the phases and the creative process.
- To Describe the sources of creativity.
- To prevent creative blocks and inflexible and obsolete attitudes
in the management of the company.
- To practice creative abilities with regard to figurative problems
and real situations.
2. ENTREPRENEURS AND INNOVATION.
Studies carried out in different countries on the evolution of
the "rankings" of major companies show that every 20 years
60% disappear of the list of the first 100, and this tendency is
increasing.
Why do they disappear? Or, why others always stay in this "ranking"?
One of the answers to these questions is that these companies only
keep their company name. For example, the activity they have developed
in the forties has changed so much that, in comparison, it has no
common point with the one developed nowadays.
The conclusion is that the survival is increasingly united to a
deep innovation process, which also needs a lot of creativity.
Schumpeter (1934 [1978]) indicates that innovation must be permanent.
If we consider the entrepreneur as a person who makes new combinations,
from the moment he reuses a combination, he has no longer an entrepreneurial
attitude. Schumpeter regards the entrepreneur as the champion of
innovation. Creativity is seen as a trend to make new things, to
break with the routine. The entrepreneur does not only like to take
the initiatives when he can, but also seeks constantly possibilities
to do so and takes the best decisions.
Therefore, the entrepreneur does not innovate just to innovate
or changes just for change: his or her activities do not mean anything
if their value is not related to progress. The feeling of progress
is even more manifest when the individual faces a situation where
he or she must focus on the development of his or her company.
One of the advantages of the entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized
businesses is that they have greater flexibility and a quick capacity
of reaction. They are more prepared to incorporate changes to their
products at the last moment, though these may have a uncertain future
and be more risky.
Actually, Lafuente, Rooms and Yagüe (1983) think that:
“...The small company is said to have greater flexibility
to adapt changes of the environment, through the rapid imitation
of new techniques, methods and production. This implies that these
companies have a favourable predisposition to introduce innovations
by imitating or acquiring technology made in bigger economic units.
As the company grows, it has greater difficulties reorienting rapidly
and efficiently its resources to adapt external changes. Therefore,
it pays more attention to foresee technological changes, with technological
forecast, strategic planning or the incorporation of an R+D department
to its current operations" (Page 114).
3. THE IDEA
3.1. - How does the idea emerge?
Bermejo, Rubio and Vega (1996) present the basic principles that
synthesize the methodology that permits to accede to the innovative
idea. These principles indicate that the innovation must:
- Be the result of an organized search, systematic and
regular: Nobody can believe that, without effort, our
brain will begin to generate one day those innovative ideas. This
will only be possible if we take time to look around; if we observe
what is occurring in other countries and regions; if we pay attention
to the national and international media; if we speak with creative
people, look into our needs and those of the people who surround
us and are younger or older, or have different training or habits;
if we have a look to our interests, etc. Your mind must be ready
at any time to capture any good business opportunity.
- Be conceptual and perceptive: you have to
turn a generic idea into opportunity, that will be fulfilled in
a given business concept.
- Be simple and clear: The most successful innovation
in the business world is that that answers to the following question:
Why didn’t I think it myself?
- Begin on a small scale: To create a company,
it is wise to depart from a very concrete innovative idea, since
you cannot forget that innovation will have to be present throughout
the daily management of the company.
- Reach quick leadership: When there is a new
product, there must be an adequate launching so that the consumers
pay enough attention to the product. However, legal measures should
also be taken, for example: patents or exclusive contracts to
avoid the competition imitation.
The following summary of innovation principles by Bermejo, Rubio
and Vega (1996), on what should be made or not to help the success
of the innovation (Chart 1).
PRINCIPLES OF INNOVATION
|
| GOOD
IDEAS |
BAD IDEAS |
- Opportunities analysis
- To go out to observe, ask and listen
- To seek centred simple things
- Little money, few people and limited market
- Will of leadership in a performance field
|
- To innovate for the future
- Difficult things in terms of production or sales
- To divide, to disperse the core of innovation
|
Chart 1. Principles of innovation
by Bermejo, Rubio and Vega (1996).
Innovative and feasible ideas are an essential step before creating
a company. It comes from personal knowledge or the finding of a
product or service. It is also possible to find new ideas just by
looking around us and detecting the lacks of the market and by analysing
the limitations of quality, rapidity, price, accessibility and efficiency
of products or existing services.
The idea is the starting point but one must work to turn it into
a project; to do so, we must:
- Compare the idea with other similar experiences and with public
and private entities that work on those topics.
- Classify the gathered information linked with two problems:
What do I want to produce? Who will be the buyers?
- Establish the production and sale strategy, the work to be
done, the necessary staff and the financial resources.
3.2. - SOURCES OF IDEAS
Innovation only subsists on a conception process and, therefore,
its supports are the ideas added in an adequate manner and at the
right time to maintain the life of the company. In fact, there are
many sources for good business opportunities ideas and they are
usually very close to us.
The authors have established different classification criteria
for the different sources of innovative ideas. Thus, we have the
opportunity criterion of Kuriloff and Hemphill (1984); the own experience
of Drucker (1986); the conception process of Mundet (1991); the
economic, social or cultural changes by Ludevid and Ollé
(1993) and entrepreneurial changes by Bermejo, Rubio and Vega (1996).
a) Opportunity Criterion: Kuriloff et Hemphill
(1984) assert that opportunities are often close to the entrepreneur
and indicate that the principal sources of the conception process
are those based on opportunity (Chart 2).
In the same line, Stevenson and Jarillo (1990) and Mitton (1997)
define the entrepreneurial relationship as the process in which
the individuals follow opportunities without taking into account
the resources they currently control.
Krueger (1998) concludes that the finding of an opportunity and
the desire of independence are two things that forecast an entrepreneur
is going to start a venture.
|
OPPORTUNITY CRITERION
|
| CAUSAS |
SOURCES OF INNOVATION |
| Internal causes:
|
- Invention
- Hobbies
- Forfeiture of the current employment
|
| |
- Social trends
- Deficiencies of others
- An absence
- Detection of new uses for ordinary things
|
Chart 2. - Summary of the
opportunity criterion of Kuriloff and Hemphill (1984)
b) Criterion of the own experience: Drucker (1986)
proposes other classification criterion; he insists on the importance
of taking the own experience of the company or the sector into account
when thinking about sources of new ideas.
The innovation or the detection of new business opportunities is
more an economic and social term than a technical one. That is why
it is important to begin with the analysis of the changes that are
taking place in supply and demand, in the field that the entrepreneur
best know, as a result of his previous entrepreneurial or economic
experience.
Drucker (1986) indicates seven areas of change (internal - external)
to point out the sources of ideas and adds an atypical one. (Chart
3).
The first four are internal, that is to say, they refer to the
company and are visible. Specially, for the person who is within
this industrial or specific services sector. The first two areas
focus on opportunity and correspond to what is unexpected and what
is incongruent; the third corresponds to the need of a process and
the fourth depends on the analysis of the changes in the industrial
sectors structure.
The remaining three are sources of external ideas that are located
outside the company and are therefore within the reach of any observer.
These changes focus on the modification areas of life styles; the
marketing mistakes that must change the perception, modality and
meaning of their messages and finally, the discontinuity, that is
to say, express new scientific or unscientific knowledge.
Finally, the area of the brilliant idea tends be the less fruitful
opportunity.
The degree of predictability of success decreases from the first
to the seventh source.
The Investigation Institute for a Creative Co-evaluation (1998)
of Mexico has corroborated Drucker’s study.
This institute indicates that the innovations in this area should
fulfil the following basic criteria:
- The process must be self-contained
- It must have a weak or lacking stage
- The objective must be defined clearly
- The specifications of the solution must be defined
- People must be aware of the fact that "there should be
a better way to …
| PREDICTABILITY VIABILITY |
CHANGE AREAS |
SOURCES OF IDEAS |
INTERNAL
(Visible in the Sector) |
1. What is unexpected (success, failure, surprise)
2. What is incongruent ("it is/ it should be") |
Opportunity |
3. Need of a process (robotics) |
Need |
| 4. Changes in the industrial sectors structure (Decline of
a sector). |
Analysis |
EXTERNAL
(Outside the Sector) |
5. Changes in the demographic factors |
Lifestyles |
| 6. Changes in perception, modality and meaning |
Marketing Mistakes |
| 7. New scientific or unscientific knowledge |
Discontinuity (different from the previous 6) |
| ATYPICAL |
8. The brilliant idea |
The less fruitful (success = 1%) |
Chart 3. Areas of change
and sources of ideas proposed by Drucker (1986).
Think about the following question. Use the brainstorming
technique.
What is needed? Who it needs it? Is there information about
it or how can I get it? Does the solution adjusted to the
desires and requirements of the users? . |
Apart from these aspects, there are four indicators of the industry
changes that work as warning signs, with regard to imminent changes.
These indicators are:
- Rapid growth of industry, with a higher growth rate than the
rest of the economy.
- When an industry has doubled the volume, it is probable that
it is beginning to perceive and attend its market in an inappropriate
way.
- Convergence of technologies that until then were considered
as separate ones; for example, computation and communications
have originated the private digital switchboards.
- Rapid change in the way industry does business.
c) Criterion according to the causes: Mundet (1991)
analyses the sources of innovation through the conception process,
taking into account the studies of Kuriloff and Hemphill, though
he adds some new sources. (Chart 4).
THE CRITERION OF THE CONCEPTION PROCESS |
| CAUSES |
SOURCES OF CONCEPTION |
| Internal causes |
- The own incongruity
- Development of hobbies
|
| External causes social |
- Perception of a need
- Deficiencies of others
- Playful aspects
- Fears
- Social and demographic trends
|
| Entrepreneurial external causes |
- New applications of resistant materials or even by-products
|
Chart 4. The criterion
of the conception process by Mundet (1991).
d) Criterion of social or cultural changes: Ludevid
and Ollé (1993) say that opportunities can emerge from the
systematic observation of economic, social or cultural changes.
(Chart 5)
If we observe the factors of social change in the last three decades
in Spain, we would have quite quickly a list of possible business
opportunities, taking into account the new needs such changes generate.
CRITERION OF CHANGES |
| CHANGE |
SOURCES OF INNOVATION |
| Economic |
|
| Social |
- Educational Level
- Spare time
- Life expectancy
- Lifestyle
- Fear
|
| Work |
- Work
- Labour market
- Energy environment
- Economic environment of companies
|
Chart 5. Social or cultural
changes (Ludevid and Ollé, 1993).
e) Criterion of entrepreneurial changes: Bermejo,
Rubio and Vega (1996) propose to search the opportunities for entrepreneurial
changes. (Chart 6)
They indicate entrepreneurial changes in:
- New uses: New forms of development of conventional
ventures or the diversifications emerged after existing activities
are included in this paragraph. For example, we could try to take
advantage of the natural resources of some geographical region
to encourage alternative uses of materials. Actually, there are
some new companies that manufacture cork products and make such
atypical goods as agendas; the business outplacement, related
to the consulting firms of human resources, consists of the outplacement
of the staff no longer needed by the companies.
- New entrepreneurial strategies: Generally,
a business aim is to increase sales, to reduce costs, to produce
cheaper and cheaper, to have a dedicated staff, to increase the
company value, etc. It is possible to get that by using new management
techniques.
The ideas where you can find opportunities can proceed from various
sources, but specially:
- The media: press, radio, television, the Internet, etc. They
help the entrepreneur know the social, technological trends or
the ones that have an effect on the society.
- The economy newspapers give information about the changes that
are taking place in economy.
- The commercial fairs expose the events that have an effect
on a particular industry.
- The government publications include a wide range of topics:
patents, foreign markets, …
| INVENTION |
- Brilliant ideas
- New knowledge
|
|
CHANGES |
|
- Demography
- Late marriages
- Need of services
- Cultural level
- Leisure time
|
|
- New uses
- New strategies
- Control systems
- Management techniques
- Duties
|
Chart 6. The search of
opportunities for entrepreneurial changes, according to Bermejo,
Rubio and Vega (1996, 25).
If we follow a system when we think, we may get better results
and more entrepreneurial ideas. That for, we must focus on the resources
we have and on the needs and interests of the would-be clients.
Choose three of the following elements and seek possible sources
of innovation that will allow us to think about a business.
- Demography and population data: for example,
there are more old people.
- We can also note the occupation rates, and
notice the working population works less and less and has less
purchasing power: they have more time for leisure but they can
spend less money for it. Therefore, there should be a change in
the forms and leisure activities.
- Change the way of working and work culture:
part-time contracts, at home (in USA more than 20 million people
do not work for a company, though it is not always a self-decision),
desolation of the countryside and untapped rural resources.
- Social, cultural and economic changes: Better
quality and bigger specialization in the shops and trades are
required.
- People come back to natural products and nature:
they overvalue the state and physical aspect, communications,
computer networks, information retrieval are getting more and
more important, etc.
- Relationships between companies: Big companies
tend to subcontract other smaller companies or divide their own
companies into subsidiaries to have more flexibility and adapt
the market. That is why there are business opportunities here.
Many things are now appearing: new rules as the Educational rule;
the transverse matters, the obligatory schooling until the age of
16, procedures of the EU on Security and Hygiene at work (The Security
officer in building works appears in it), the European reforestation
funds, etc.
| Source |
Activity that could be done
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Anyway, the search for business ideas is easier if we are within
the professional environments, developing a labour of learning or
collaboration, in touch with companies, entities and people.
Nevertheless, the entrepreneur must not forget creativity and innovation
once he or she has created the company. Today, the daily management
of a business demands a predisposition to change, a permanent concern
with adaptation and innovation. That is why we are going to study
some aspects of creativity.
4. CREATIVITY: CONCEPT AND DEFINITION
Creativity has often been associated to geniality, considering
that it is a genetic gift. Time has proved that this belief is not
that certain; creativity is not only present in discoveries accomplished
by famous people, but also many of our small daily acts enclose
a lot of creativity.
Therefore, creativity does not only depend on inheritance, neither
on education nor on ones’ environment. It is fundamentally
the product of personality; basically, a person will only need to
know himself or herself very well to understand that he or she can
give even more.
There is no unitary definition for creativity. The word “creativity”
derives from the Latin "creare" that means “create
something new”, “make something that did not exist before”.
Though the theoreticians do not agree on the definition, all the
definitions have clearly something in common; this common denominator
stresses the idea of "something new", independently from
the fact that the new thing could be a poetry, a political decision,
a new product, etc.
The definition given before can be sufficient. However, definitions
are not valid in their totality if they are seen in practice. The
previous definition is, then, insufficient since it is not compared
with its results. Creativity is intimately bound to the concept
of innovation.
We will try to define both concepts in a simple way.
CREATIVITY |
INNOVATION |
| |
|
It is the mental process that
helps us to generate ideas |
It is the practical application
of these ideas in order to reach the objectives in a more
effective way.
|
Innovation is the essence of success. Without innovation, we would
be doing the same as in the past: stagnation, deterioration and
death. To be innovative we need creative ideas. Without ideas, it
is impossible to innovate. In other words, success depends on the
dual relationship between ideas and the transformation of the chosen
ideas into practical innovations. Innovations only happen when the
implemented ideas have a clear aim as, for example, the accomplishment
of a task in a more productive way (better, cheaper or more satisfactory).
It is clear that creativity is the raw material for innovation.
Of course, we will have many creative ideas but only a few will
serve for innovation.
5. CREATIVITY AND PERSONALITY
Like we were indicating in the previous point, until a few years
ago a creative person was the one who had a natural genetically
inherited gift. Creativity has become more and more important and
this has led to investigate more on the topic and to explain doubts
about the term.
Obviously, the creativity level of each individual depends of his
or her personality, but it is not something genetic but a given
quality, which we can improve. However, creative people seem to
share common characteristics.
Before listing them, it may be convenient to explain some
of the wrong ideas that have been associated with the creativity
concept.
If it were a gift, the effort to cultivate or improve it would
make no sense; automatically we would not have the need to encourage
it and would just have to look at Einstein, Mozart or Michelangelo.
Obviously, if we do not support creativity, it will only depend
on the natural talent. But if we give training, structures and systematic
techniques, we will be able to overcome the general level. Some
people will always do better than others, but all of them will have
acquired a certain creative capacity. Some people are naturally
creative but it does not mean that they could do even better if
they trained and learn creative techniques. Creativity is not an
exclusive characteristic of geniuses.
5.2. - Creativity versus Intelligence
Observably, intelligence is the motor of the mind. The rapidity
of mental reactions depends on its power and the person will have
a quicker observation. Nevertheless, intelligence is not necessarily
synonymous with "mental capacity". An intelligent person
can be a bad thinker, if he or she has not learnt the necessary
techniques to think well. On the other side, a person less intelligent
can have acquired better mental abilities. An intelligent person
who has not learnt the techniques of creative thought can result
less creative than other, less intelligent, especially if the techniques
with which he or she was educated act against creative behaviour.
All depends on the habits, training and expectations of each individual.
Nobody needs to be exceptionally intelligent to be creative.
The history of humanity has let some beliefs about creativity and
made it exclusive of several people who deserve to be included in
the geniuses category, thanks to their works or their facts.
5.2. Right hemisphere versus left hemisphere.
Our brain is made of two halves called hemispheres. During a lot
of time, each hemisphere was attributed determined qualities, and
it seemed that they were operating in an independent way, prevailing
one over the other.
The qualities or mental processes of each hemisphere are: (Chart
6)
| LEFT SIDE |
RIGHT SIDE |
| Logic
Language Judgment
Numbers
Analysis
Linearity
Digital
Abstract |
Rhythm
Music
Imagination
Images
Colour
Recognition of shapes
Dreams
General Creativity |
Chart
6. Operations developed by the brain hemispheres.
In this way, they explained that, for example, in Picasso, the
right side prevailed over the left one in his brain, and for Einstein,
that was the contrary; however, Einstein was very good at painting
and his friends considered him a virtuous Violinist.
Although the differentiation between both hemispheres has certain
value since it indicates that thoughts are not all linear and symbolic,
this question has been given too much importance and have been changed
into something dangerous and potentially prejudicial for creativity.
Indeed, when we see that a person have certain abilities, we give
them too much emphasis and we tend to forget others that would require
greater attention and training.
Recent investigations have demonstrated that the weakest part of
the brain can develop through specific trainings, but this does
not mean that we abandon the strong cerebral zones, but on the contrary,
it implies the parallel strengthening of all the mental development
areas.
5.3. Characteristics of the creative personality
Which men should be qualified as creators?
Generally, they were called “creators” by others, only
for pragmatic reasons.
In order to determine if these individuals with high creative capacity
had in common some personality features, they were interviewed,
observed directly and measured them with psychological tests.
In spite of the diversity of the results, researchers could establish
common characteristics in these individuals. We will detail the
most important ones (Chart 7)
ASPECT
|
DEVELOPMENT
|
| TOLERANCE TO AMBIGUITY |
It is the capacity of living in a problematic and obscure
situation and to work intensely to control it. The creator can
go on for a lot of time without solving the problem, keeping
up in his efforts and trying to overcome it. They have the capacity
to work in the trapezium of the unknown. The person who hurries
up to choose solutions avoids tensions, but he renounces other
better and more mature solutions. |
| IDEAS FLUENCY |
ideas flow in creative people. Not creative people are
satisfied with what they have already thought and do not go
on thinking.
Creative people get increasingly nearer and deeper to the
problem they are analysing. They do not stop until they have
the solution. We must not mistake them for the person who
is not able to concentrate. |
| FLEXIBILITY |
On the one hand, creative people think with greater fluency,
but their also think quicker. They always see the solution of
the problem, will have the faculty of following several possible
approaches. They do not stick prematurely to none of them. |
| ORIGINALITY |
Creative people have more original and more surprising ideas.
In order to be original, one stays apart from fashions and renounce
for the admiration of the majority. The original person has
a kind of rare smell. In a way, he begins to think when the
rest stops doing it. |
| CAPACITY TO CREATE NEW DEFINITIONS |
Creative people think quicker and easier, overcoming the
functional links. They use objects in a new way and are able
to give new names to experiences or situations of the past. |
| SENSIBILITY FOR PROBLEMS |
Creators can make things and causative links problematic
with great facility, that is to say, they can be presented
a problem and begin with the solutions. They pay more attention
than no creative people do to extra normal things. Einstein
showed this with the following sentence: "Showing new
problems and new possibilities, considering the old problems
form a new point of view, all this requires creative imagination
force and proofs the real progress in all orders”.
We should not mistake them for indifferent people since these
do not think with creativity, they lack sensibility for nuances.
Their fantasy is lazy. |
Chart
7. Characteristics of creative people.
6. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
THE COYOTE MEETS BUDDHA
Chuck Jones, the creator of the Coyote, says that in order to
draw a coyote, “you have to have a coyote inside you. And
you have to bring it to light. The animation means to bring a drawing
to life. And how do you do that? You have to find it inside you”.
While we were producing a TV series The creative Spirit in Tokyo,
Japan, a sculptor of Buddha figures told us: “When I am carving,
I look for Buddha in the wood, and when I am carving, I need to
bring Buddha out of the wood”. Between the Coyote and Buddha
there is a hidden truth: for creativity to arise, something hidden
in our interior must become alive and become real in the outside
world. (Paul Kaufman).
John E. Arnold defined the creative process as "that mental
process in which experiences or past knowledge are combined time
and time again, frequently with some distortion, in such a way that
new concepts, configurations and ideas are created and these solve
better the needs of humanity"
If we read slowly this definition, we can deduce two clear elements
of the creative thought:
- Originality, because it leads to "something new"
"different"...
- Usefulness because it must satisfy a need or solve a human
problem.
Let us observe briefly both elements in order to determine their
dependence relationships. When we use the term "original",
we refer to something unknown and inexistent before, but also to
something different to something that already existed, because of
the introduction of some distinguishing element that makes it belong
to the category of original things".
Then, original things admit two states: one of them, completely
new, that is to say, unknown until now; we will call it “discovery”
or “invention”. The second is a modification of something
that already exists, that is to say, the renovation or creation
of something that has already been created. Both states deserve
the category of original things.
The second distinguishing element of the creative thought is more
complex, because it depends on the result and the function of creativity.
Let us see: May creative things not been considered creative in
function of what we want from creativity?
If for example, we are in an informal friends meeting, and we intend
to be creative talking about one subject, the distinguishing elements
of the process will not have the same importance; here, because
of its insignificance, originality will be more important than usefulness.
On the contrary, if we are in a creativity meeting of our company
aimed at determining the possible viability of a product, both elements
depend on the other. Usefulness may even be more important, since
a product should necessarily satisfy better a need than other that
already exists, and include elements that make it more original
more novel, that is, different.
6.1. Phases of the creative process
Creativity is not something that comes suddenly as if it were inspiration.
Until we get a creative idea, there is a creative process based
on three phases. This process is unconscious and always follows
the same line. We will have to pass through the three phases.
- Permeation. The human being is characterized
by the quantity of information he or she is able to process. All
of us, every day, hear, speak, see etc., a sequence of facts we
could call our experience. We record and process part of this
information and we forget definitely the other part. We will use
the first part as a seed that can become creative.
- Incubation. In this second phase, we go on
processing information thanks to the brain, and purifying it even
more.
- Enlightenment. It is the phase where the previous
processes begin to work. We usually called it "inspiration",
it is the demonstration of the idea, of the new approach we were
drawing. But this wrongly designated "inspiration" does
not exist on its own; it is the result of the previous process.
6.2. Sources of creativity
Creativity does not exist on its own; it should be included within
a source of inspiration or origin. Thus, we can determine that there
are attitudes or concrete behaviours that permit to generate more
creativity. Some of these attitudes are involuntary and other, on
the contrary, are voluntary and require effort and work. We will
make a list of the more traditional sources of creativity.
- Innocence: Creativity, product of innocence,
is the classic creativity of children. Innocence inhibits the
weight of restrictions and allows a freer and new approach of
any issue.
- Experience: The creativity that comes from
experience is the contrary of innocent creativity. The latter
includes risks assumption because of its novelty; the creativity
of experience has quite no risk since it takes its basis on things
already known and on the restrictions given by the own experience.
- Motivation: This is the fundamental source
of creativity of those people really called "creative"
people. What does it mean? You must be curious enough to look
for explanations; you must try everything and always study to
seek for new ideas. There is an investment of time and effort
and an attempt to be creative. Finally, this investment generates
new and creative ideas.
- Valuation and judgement capacity: It refers
to those people that are able to recognize the potential of an
idea very early, who know how to convert it into reality. This
valuation capacity is a creative act. If the idea is new, one
must visualize its viability.
- Casual and eventful: We refer here to those
facts or creative events that occurred by chance, accident or
mistake. The history of humanity is full of examples: Fleming
discovered the penicillin by chance, Christopher Columbus discovered
America because of a measurement mistake, etc.
In many occasions, the mistakes, the anomalies, what does not work
have generated new ideas, new points of view. This happens because
such facts remove us from the limits of reasonable things and, generally,
our daily lives develop in the set of reasonable norms. These limits
are the result of the experience of the past and the people that
are unable to create new ideas do not want it to change.
The more used creative techniques invite us to think and propose
totally wild and disparate ideas, not for the idea in itself but
because it opens new roads and approaches.
“A person who has never made a mistake is a person who has
not tried anything new”. Albert Einstein
6.3. CREATIVE BLOCK
The creative capacity of each individual is different, as it can
be for his or her stature, proportions or colour. We only use l0%
of our creative capacity, and the remaining 90% stay in a lethargic
state. The lost of this creative potential is due to two different
causes.
1º. To an adaptation process of the individual to
the society: From the moment a subject is born, some restrictions
are imposed to him, generally social restrictions; then, he looses
naturalness, spontaneity and freshness and becomes "predictable".
In this paragraph, we can indicate some factors: the habits and
social restrictions (the conformist postures, faith in reason and
logic, preconception and distrust of new things, education, etc.).
2º. To restrictions: personal restrictions.
Here, we find emotional factors: fear of being ridiculous, fear
to make a mistake, pathological need of feeling safe, etc.).
The creator, the creative man, must go in a different way, dive
in the ambiguity of what is new without loosing his faith. But he
never looses the contact with reality and does not forget that something
creative must be “marketable".
7. METHODOLOGY
This chapter must be put in practice with group dynamics and abilities
practices with a double objective: to expose actively the contents
and to show experiences to the pupils to help them to be creative.
After each dynamics, the teacher will analyse with the participants
the conceptual and theoretical framework that sustains the dynamics,
the conclusions and its application in the creation and management
of a company. Here are the most interesting dynamics and practices:
- Preparation to generate ideas: Before generating
business ideas, it is necessary to take a positive attitude toward
creativity and to generate a favourable atmosphere.
Write below some recommendations to be more creative:
Entrepreneurial ideas generation: The teacher
describes different situations in which a statistical data, a socio-cultural
change, a normative change, a need, etc stands out, and the pupils
have to propose an entrepreneurial idea for each situation.
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1.- In five minutes, make a list of how you will
get money the next week. |
3.- In an advertisement campaign,
it is the same person (he decides, pays and gets benefit) |
2.- Propose your ideas of point 1 to a partner
and complete the following aspects:
- Who decides the purchase or contracting of the product
or service?
- Who will pay for it?
- Who gets the benefit?
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In reality, all the problems are opportunities.
A person with a problem is a person that needs something. When a
group of people needs something, this can be the first step for
an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Think about three problems that exist in your environment. Then,
solve them by using the brainstorming technique.
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| In a company
At home
In a bar
In a playground
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Public transport
Listening to the radio
During a weekend
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Use the following table to change, adapt or replace solutions of
the previous exercise if they actually exist.
Analysis of the entrepreneurial idea: Each pupil
chooses an entrepreneurial idea (The teacher can also give articles
about different entrepreneurial initiatives to the pupils) and then
answer the following questions: Why is it innovative?, What makes
it different from competition? In which degree is it feasible?
Document analysis in groups and presentation to the whole
class with different creative techniques: The teacher distributes
part of the support material (this is the content of the module
between the different groups); they have to read it and present
it to the whole class in an original way (a dramatization, interview
to an expert, a TV program...).
Test: I am creative and innovative. With a questionnaire,
we analyse the degree of creativity and innovation of each pupil.
Then, participants must think about their answer and about the aspects
they must improve to be more innovative. (We have designed an innovation
scale - adaptation from: Trejo López, Enrique; Palaci Descals,
Francisco; Moriano Leon, Juan Antonio; Sanchez Almagro, Marisa "The
Enterprising Youth of Castille and Leon", Junta de Castille
and Leon, 2002. You can also use the " Mental Opening"
dimension of the BFQ, the “Test of cognitive flexibility”
from Seisdedos or another similar scale).
Study of examples of entrepreneurs that introduced an innovative
idea that was a success for their business (You can use articles
of experiences; the pupils will have to say why this company is
innovating; the teacher can put examples and then ask the participants
if they can quote other examples)
Wit or riddle games: their solution must be a creative option
and then, you ask the pupils how they got to that solution, overcoming
the standardized thought. (You can use handbook games, for example:
"Wit Games" by Martín Cebrián, Modesto,
Diputación of Valladolid).
Solution of problems and conflicts in a creative way. Propose
problems and real situations which an entrepreneur may find and
analyse different solutions. (You can use books of problems or conflicts
solution.
Make a list of benefits. In groups, analyse the reasons why some
people would use your service or buy a product.
Indicate how you would use a stone. Try to solve the problem on
your own for the moment. After 5 minutes, how many uses did you
find?
Compare your solutions with those of the group. How many have you
found?
Indicate 5 things that you can do well or that you would learn
quickly (linked to leisure, spare time, pleasures, knowledge abilities);
then, indicate 3 ways of getting money, by manufacturing, marketing
or lending a service.
| Animal/Vegetable/Thing |
To manufacture |
To buy/to sell |
Service |
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- Types of leather
- Types of tools
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- To teach to tan.
- To teach to dye.
- To Repair
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Chooses one of the previous options and answer the following questions.
Work in groups for this activity.
IDEA / QUESTION |
YES |
NO |
DOES NOT KNOW |
I NEED TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION |
- Can it be manufactured or has it to be transformed?
- Can you do it yourself or do you need help?
- People will want to buy it.
- What do you offer that improves it with regard to your
competitors?
- Who are your competitors?
- How much does it cost?
- Does this idea already exist in the market?
- Is it a sure business?
- Is it legal?
- Do you need to hire more people?
- Can you begin this business as a part-time job?
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8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bermejo, M.; Rubio, I. y Vega, I. (1996). La creación de
la empresa propia. Madrid. McGraw-Hill e Instituto de Empresa, 11-65.
Drucker, P.F. (1986). La gerencia en tiempos difíciles.
Barcelona. Orbis.
Gibb, S. (1987). "Enterprise Culture: Its Meaning and Implications
for Education and Training" in Journal of European Training.
MCB. Publications, Spring.
Kuriloff, A. H.; Hemphill, J. M. (1984). Cómo hacer rentable
un negocio desde el principio. Factores básicos de eficacia.
Bilbao. Ediciones Deusto.
Ludevid, M. y Olle, M. (1993). Cómo crear su propia empresa.
Factores clave de gestión. Barcelona. Marcombo, Boixareu
Editores. 2ª ed.
Mundet, J. (1991). Creación de empresas. Factores de éxito.
Barcelona P.P.U.; S.A. 23-29.
Schumpeter, J.A. (1934 [1978]). Teoría del Desenvolvimiento
económico. México. Fondo Cultural de Economía.
9-10: 135-139. "The theory of economics development: and inquiry
into profits, Capital, Interest and business cycle.” En M.C.
Entrepreneurship. 1990. Cambridge. Harvard University Press.
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