BUS604: Innovation and Sustainability

A detailed description of the training course was presented allowing for its immediate application in organizational practice. A few weak points of the creativity training should be reported: for example, when addressing practice, complex models like the spreading activation theory might need more detailed explanation.

Interestingly, the knowledge provided in the creativity training seems to be not very novel. Designers have long been applying design-by-analogy. For example the analogy based techniques called Synectics had been developed in the 1960s; and SCAMPER in the 1970. What is new, however, is the combination of the cognitive model (spreading activation network theory) and the ideation techniques in the light of this new creativity training.

Although innovation covers the creation and implementation of ideas, the implementation phase cannot be covered by a one-day long workshop as has been proposed here. Only theoretical knowledge on the implementation can be provided, leaving the realizing of ideas obtained in the trainees' and organizations' responsibility. Future training concepts might focus more on implementation skill and controlling.

Life in the 21st century is characterized by uncertainties. Social, economic and technological changes make it almost impossible to predict the required skills in the future world. However, scholars agree that being able to deal with ill-defined problems is and will continue to be mandatory. This ability calls for creative thinking skills on both the personal and organizational level.

Creativity trainings are proven to enhance participants' creativity outcome and since even small changes in the originality of ideas increase customer's willingness to pay a profitable price, creativity trainings rise in value for organizations.

Since highly original ideas are the explicit desired outcome here, their unusualness and novelty could cause them to be even harder to implement due to lack of existing organizational underpinnings. For sounder organizational practice regarding innovation and maintaining an organization's competitive edge, the provision of in-house mentoring programs and counseling for innovating teams is suggested. That way, ideas which might win the race to market are not abandoned due to lacking support. Innovating teams' need for management support and encouragement is likely to be positively correlated with the originality of their ideas, causing guidance and mentoring to become an essential organizational practice for surviving the uncertainty of the modern competitive climate.