POST BUS505 2019 March All Units Discussions Latest

BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 1 Discussion
 discussions are where we bring together the information we’re studying and learn from one another.  Discussions are especially critical in this course because of the subjects we’re studying, and because in the near future you’ll be creating and working in a team environment.
Be active, be creative, be YOU in the Discussions.    Keep the following questions in mind as you work through this week’s material.
Introductions:  Introduce yourself to the .  Tell us about your work and your professional background.  Feel free to include information on your personal life, family life, etc. as you see fit.  Most importantly, include at least one endeavor you are involved in that requires you to be creative.  You can also post a photo or a video if you want to.
Goals:  Share your goals for the Program in general and for this specific course.  Try to make your goals as specific as possible. Use and established goal writing technique that will make your goal more powerful and measurable such as a variation of the SMART mnemonic.
Critical Thinking:  A Graduate program requires a great deal of critical thinking. When we  are answering discussion questions, writing a paper, or performing any variety of assignments it is important that we incorporate critical thinking into our work.   Discuss what critical thinking means to you and how you believe it can be demonstrated.  Include research and include links to relevant content on the topic.
 
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 2 Discussion
Consider these Discussion Board questions as you complete assignments this week.
(1)  Intersections.  A key concept in The Medici Effect is the idea of intersections.  This concept seems simple and common, but it isn’t as common as we may think.  He is not presenting intersections within fields, but rather intersections that occur when we cross fields and domains.  Have you experienced intersections?  If you have, give us an example and describe it.  How did it work?  What did it produce?
If you have not experienced an intersection, search for examples of intersections.  There are many in the press and in popular literature on exciting growing businesses.  Be careful though.  It is easy to simply site an innovation or innovative product or service.  You need to provide more information on the actual intersection.  Discuss.
(2)   Creative Teams  What are some of the characteristics of creative and innovative teams?  Discuss them.  What are the management issues you see with creating environments that foster creativity for new value generation?
 
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 3  Discussion
Our discussion questions focus on leadership.  Consider and respond to these questions on our discussion board.
Psycological Traits of Creative Leaders.  Based upon this week’s readings and your experience, what are some of the traits of creative people?  (you don’t have to list all of them – allow others to come up with answers) Discuss whether each one is in someone’s nature or whether it is nurtured (or can be nurtured)? Explain your answer and discuss with others in the .
Affect – Creativity Leaders.  In “Emotion and Creativity at Work”, Dr. Amabile discusses her team’s research into the affect-creativity relationship in the workplace.  She presents a model called the Organizational Affect-Creativity Cycle.  Discuss the following.  Can a manager/leader encourage change through her behavior, the behavior of others in the organization, or through structural or cultural changes in the environment at work to positively impact creativity and individual behavior towards organizational goals?  If so, in what concrete ways can this be done?  If not, explain.  Be sure to provide support and reasoning for your answers.
Double Loop Learning
What have you leaned about the idea of Double Loop Analysis?   Share thoughts and insights.   Remember, this is an important part of the Critical Thinking Assignment.
 
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 4  Discussion
We know you’ll be busy on team assignments this week.  Even so, be sure to keep up with our Discussion Board questions:
Ethics:  Are there ethical considerations we should consider during the the entire innovation process?  If so, what are they?  Do they occur at every step of the process?  Can an  innovation be morally neutral, yet be unethical or socially irresponsible when carried out or applied?
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 5   Discussion
Managing for Creativity or Results?   In business we all have a job to do, things that have to get accomplished. As managers we have to see that the work is done. We also want our people to work effectively and be innovative.
Is there a difference in managing a team for results and one for creativity?
How is it different or not different depending upon your perspective?
In your experience have you managed/been managed differently for creative projects than for daily results?
Discuss.  Be sure to bring to the discussion any items that will help support your position
Product & Process Innovation.   In the video clip this week Hamel (2007) poses the argument that product and process
innovation have much smaller impacts on the bottom line than do management innovations. For this discussion answer the questions:
Do you agree with this statement? Explain why or why not.
Provide an example of a management innovation that worked (or didn’t work), explain your answer and cite references.
Take a stand and support your position on others’ posts.
 
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 6  Discussion
Creative Abrasion.  We’ve touched on the concept of “Creative Abrasion” in prior discussion boards. Diversity in creative teams seems to be a consistent message. In spite of this many of us tend to gravitate towards people we are comfortable with.
As managers, what can we do (what have you done), to ensure diversity in a team?
What techniques can you use to ensure that the diverse team works well together when it comes to creativity?
What have you seen work in the past?
Barriers to Innovation & Creativity:  In your experience, how have team leaders promoted processes to encourage team development and creativity?  How have these team leaders been a barrier to, not understood, or ignored any process?  How would you approach creativity and innovation in the light of what you have learned?  Have you ever been an engine or leader of creativity in your group?  Have you ever been a barrier?  Explain and analyze.
Seek out articles and research barriers to innovation and creativity.  Explain their relevance to the discussion and what they add to our knowledge.
Human Potential & The Process of Innovation:   Does innovation tap into something unique about the human condition that allows us to focus on something greater than ourselves?  If so, what does this say about tapping into our nature as humans to encourage others to engage in creative endeavors and innovation?  What can we learn from Dr. Moskowitz’s story as told by Malcolm Gladwell?
Can leaders use this knowledge to drive their organizations to sustainable success?  Also, watch the Daniel Dennet video before participating in this discussion.
 
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 7  Discussion
Weird Rules:  In Weird Rules of Creativity there are many “out there” concepts. Choose one and discuss the validity of the concept or why you do not think it is a good idea. Either way make sure to bring experience or other research to the table to back up your ideas.
Power of Design:  In the Power of Design they discuss IDEO’s processes and successes. What do you think is the key to IDEO’s success and why?
 
BUS505 Organizational Creativity, Discovery and Innovation
Unit 8  Discussion
               
Future Thinking
Throughout this course we have learned about a variety of tools and techniques, we’ve learned about the power of innovation and creativity in organizations, and the impact of a manager on his/her people. All of this has been based upon research done in the present and the past.
Now let’s take a moment to look forward. What changes do you see with organizations when it comes to innovation and creativity? Will organizations embrace innovation or revert to production? Should they – and will it be done the same as now or in a different way? Where are we going when it comes to being an innovative society?
… and two final questions …
Lessons Learned:  Please share with us your best learning from the course?  Why did you pick it?
Burning Questions:  Please share the questions that remain for you at the end of the course.  What’s next?
p.s..  Just for fun.  Identify the person in this picture.