TOP Note: This brief section highlights significant differences for creativity produced within an organizational environment. For more on organizations or achievement, see Table of Contents and use search.
The Taxonomy emanates from Root section of THEE is distinctly and solely personal. Organization and management feature more prominently in emanations from the Primary Hierarchies: in particular and .
and embodies the creative energy intrinsic to all human endeavour. ThisMany of the «methods» offered for creativity reveal themselves, on close examination, to be better described as methods for making decisions or working. Of course this requires creativity: just as other Frameworks in human endeavour require creativity.
There is a wonderful spirit blowing through organizational theory and management consulting at present. It highlights and advocates the use of creativity at work, contrasting it usually with what currently exists. This confirms a basic and repeated finding:
Current thinking also touches on a second principle:
Although creative forces are personal, synergies within a group may be considerable. So an organization can produce a far grander and more complex creative output than would be possible for a single person.
However, a world of difference exists between:
challenges that are wholly personally owned
&
The reason is to be found in:
the agency effect (see below)
&
Unlike entrepreneurs who provide employment, employees seek employment: i.e. employees actively seek to be an agent of the organization. So, by default, they choose not to be their own person in work. However dedicated and committed to their own work-challenges, it is not possible to fully own the organization's
. Nor could the organization properly allow a significant to be handled at the sole discretion of any one employee.It is not realistic to construe an employee's relation to their work within the organization as
. However much you want to work in a particular organization, you would not do it for nothing. If you sign the contract, it is in good part because you need to earn a living. Of course it is a two-way thing: organizations also need employees.When a person is an agent, the specifics of
are abrogated to a greater or lesser degree. often remains indefinite within the formal contract as «a willingness to do whatever is requested within the terms of reference». However participative and co-creative the spirit at work may be, it is the employer, or contractor, or Board, or manager, or leader who has the last word. The agent often cannot be, or wisely chooses not to be, as as required for maximum .In addition, because the transcendental components of endeavour are largely out of their hands, managers focus excessively on the components. Managers may further reduce creative activity in a myriad of ways, often blaming both their subordinates and their bosses: see more on teams and creativity.
Employees, many of whom are managers of other employees, have a complex relationship with the organization that employs them.
In applying this
to an organization, we need to:Start by focusing on the implications of the fact that managers authorize all work.
Originally posted: 17-Feb-2012