Creativity and organisational efficiency: empirical evidence from private organisations in Nigeria
Abstract
The study investigated creativity and organisational efficiency in Nigerian private organisations to ascertain the extent to which workforce creativity enhances organisational efficiency. The quantitative methodology was employed and the research design was a cross-sectional survey. Stratified sampling was employed in selecting respondents from ten multinational companies across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Research data were elicited from the respondents with the help of a structured questionnaire. The question response format of items addressing the research questions in the questionnaire were of the five-point Likert scale. The study used measurement items related to the extant literature for all the measures. Structural equation modeling was employed in data analysis with organisational efficiency serving as the latent variable while creativity constructs served as the measured variables. Results show that three out of the four constructs of creativity were significant predictors of creativity Thus, the competitive environment, social capital and technological factors influence creativity and that creativity predicts organisational efficiency.
Keyword : competitive environment, creativity, organisational efficiency, social capital, technological factors
How to Cite
Inegbedion, H., Inegbedion, E., Obadiaru, E., Asaleye, A., Adeyemi, S., & Eluyela, D. (2021). Creativity and organisational efficiency: empirical evidence from private organisations in Nigeria. Creativity Studies, 14(2), 461-487. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2021.12446
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Meutia, M., & Ismail, T. (2017). The influence of competitive pressure on innovative creativity. Electronic Business Journal, 16(11), 22–32.
Mihaiu, D. M., Opreana, A., & Cristescu, M. P. (2010). Efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the public sector. Romanian Journal of Economic Forecasting, 4, 132–147.
Mumford, M. D., Hester, K. S., Robledo, I. C., Peterson, D. R., Day, E. A., Hougen, D. F., & Barrett, J. D. (2012). Mental models and creative problem-solving: The relationship of objective and subjective model attributes. Creativity Research Journal, 24(4), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.730008
Müller, S. D., & Ulrich, F. (2013). Creativity and information systems in a hypercompetitive environment: A literature review. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 32, 175–200. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.03207
Oldham, G. R., & Cummings, A. (1996). Employee creativity: Personal and contextual factors at work. The Academy of Management Journal, 39(3), 607–634. https://doi.org/10.5465/256657
Oluwadare, A. A. (2015). Creativity and innovation: A viable tool for entrepreneurial development. Global Advanced Research Journal of Educational Research and Review, 4(11), 225–231.
Paramitha, A., & Indarti, N. (2014). Impact of the environment support on creativity: Assessing the mediating role of intrinsic motivation. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 115, 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.419
Porter, M. E., Ketels, Ch., & Delgado, M. (2007). The microeconomic foundations of prosperity: Funding from the business competitiveness index. In M. E. Porter, X. Sala-i-Martín, & K. Schwab, The Global Competitiveness Report 2007–2008 (pp. 51–81). World Economic Forum.
Prabhu, V., Sutton, Ch., & Sauser, W. (2008). Creativity and certain personality traits: Understanding the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation. Creativity Research Journal, 20(1), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400410701841955
Rhodes, M. (1961). An analysis of creativity. The Phi Delta Kappan, 42(7), 305–310.
Rosenman, M. A., & Gero, J. S. (1996). Modelling multiple views of design objects in a collaborative CAD environment. Computer-Aided Design, 28(3), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-4485(96)86822-9
Serrat, O. (2009). Harnessing creativity and innovation in the workplace. Knowledge Solutions, 61. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/27596/harnessing-creativity-and-innovationworkplace.pdf
Shao, Y., Zhang, Ch., Zhou, J., Gu, T., & Yuan, Y. (2019). How does culture shape creativity? A minireview. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01219
Siddiqi, H., & Qureshi, M. (2016). The impact of employees’ creativity on the performance of the firm. Research Issues in Social Sciences, 1, 1–12.
Sözbilir, F. (2018). The interaction between social capital, creativity and efficiency in organizations. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 27, 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2017.12.006
Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The nature of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1801_10
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1991). An investment theory of creativity and its development. Human Development, 34(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1159/000277029
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1995). Defying the crowd: Cultivating creativity in a culture of conformity. The Free Press.
Stojcic, N., Hashi, I., & Orlic, E. (2018). Creativity, innovation effectiveness and productive efficiency in the UK. European Journal of Innovation Management, 21(4), 564–580. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2017-0166
United Nations. (2008). Creative Economy. Report 2008 – the challenge of assessing the creative economy: Towards informed policy-making. UNCTAD/UNDP.
Weinzimmer, L. G., Michel, E. J., & Franczak, J. L. (2011). Creativity and firm-level performance: The mediating effects of action orientation. Journal of Managerial Issues, 23(1), 62–82.
World Economic Forum. (2018). Creative disruption: The impact of emerging technologies on the creative economy. World Economic Forum.
Xiao Hua, T., Badara Kabia, A., & Arkady, D. (2015). Creativity and innovation. A road map to business success and growth in Sierra Leone: From intuition to process management. Global Journal of Management and Business Research: B Economics and Commerce, 15(4). https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume15/1-Creativity-and-Innovation.pdf
Yampolskiy, R. V. (2013). Efficiency theory: A unifying theory for information, computation and intelligence. Journal of Discrete Mathematical Sciences and Cryptography, 16(4–5), 259–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720529.2013.821361
Zahra, Sh. A., & Covin, J. G. (1994). The financial implications of fit between competitive strategy and innovation types and sources. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 5(2), 183–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/1047-8310(94)90002-7
Amabile, T. M. (2012). Componential theory of creativity. Harvard Business School. Working Paper 12-096. https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/12-096.pdf
Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(2), 357–376. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.45.2.357
Amabile, T. M., & Mueller, J. S. (2008). Studying creativity, its processes, and its antecedents: An exploration of the componential theory of creativity. In J. Zhou & Ch. E. Shalley (Eds.), Handbook of organizational creativity (pp. 33–64). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Aubyn, M. St., Pina, Á., Garcia, F., & Pais, J. (2009). Economic Papers. Vol. 390. European economy: Study on the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending on tertiary education. European Commission.
Babu, R. R., Krishna, M. M., & Swathi, A. (2013). Role of creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship. Innovative Journal of Business Management, 2(5), 112–115.
Barrett, H., Balloun, J. L., & Weinstein, A. (2005). The impact of creativity on performance in nonprofits. International Journal of Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 10(4), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.25
Bessant, J., Lamming, R., Noke, H., & Phillips, W. (2005). Managing innovation beyond the steady state. Technovation, 25(12), 1366–1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2005.04.007
Boix-Domènech, R., & Rausell-Köster, P. (2018). The economic impact of the creative industry in the European Union. In V. Santamarina-Campos & M. Segarra-Oña (Eds.), Drones and the creative industry: Innovative strategies for European SMEs (pp. 19–36). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95261-1_2
Bonnardel, N., & Zenasni, F. (2010). The impact of technology on creativity in design: An enhancement? Creativity and Innovation Management, 19(2), 180–191. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2010.00560.x
Damanpour, F. (1991). Organizational innovation: A meta-analysis of effects of determinants and moderators. The Academy of Management Journal, 34(3), 555–590. https://doi.org/10.5465/256406
Dehnavieh, R., Hasanzadeh, E., Mehralhasani, M. H., Pour, H. I., Shahheidari, M., & Hekmat, S. N. (2010). Factors influencing creativity and innovation of the senior managers of Iran university of medical sciences – 2010. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 5(11), 708–712. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjbsci.2010.708.712
Farrell, M. J. (1957). The measurement of productive efficiency. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (General), 120(3), 253–290. https://doi.org/10.2307/2343100
Gangadharbatla, H. (2010). Technology component: A modified systems approach to creative thought. Creativity Research Journal, 22(2), 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2010.481539
George, B. (2007). Authentic leaders: They inspire and empower others. Leadership Excellence, 24(9), 16–17.
Gupta, A. K. (2013). Tapping the entrepreneurial potential of grassroots innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/tapping_the_entrepreneurial_potential_of_grassroots_innovation#
Isaksen, S. G., & Akkermans, H. J. (2011). Creative climate: A leadership lever for innovation. Journal of Creative Behavior, 45(3), 161–187. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.2011.tb01425.x
James, K., & Drown, D. (2012). Organizations and creativity: Trends in research, status of education and practice, agenda for the future. In M. D. Mumford (Ed.), Handbook of organizational creativity (pp. 17–38). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374714-3.00002-1
Jamshidi, M. H. M., & Kenarsari, N. H. (2015). The effect of social capital on creativity of employees. A case study: Productive firms of electrical household appliances in the North of Iran. Journal of Asian Scientific Research, 5(4), 205–218. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.2/2015.5.4/2.4.205.218
Kash, D. E. (1989). Perpetual innovation: The new world of competition. Basic Books.
Liu, H., & Silva, E. (2018). Examining the dynamics of the interaction between the development of creative industries and urban spatial structure by agent-based modelling: A case study of Nanjing, China. Urban Studies, 55(5), 1013–1032. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098016686493
Lubart, T. (2010). Cross-cultural perspectives on creativity. In J. C. Kaufman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of creativity (pp. 265–278). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511763205.017
Mansur, Y. (2015, 27–29 April). Creativity, innovation, and development. Creativity and Culture for Development: Med Culture 1st Regional Conference. Casablanca, Morocco. https://fdocuments.net/reader/full/creativity-innovation-and-development-by-yusuf-mansur-by-yusuf-mansur
Meutia, M., & Ismail, T. (2017). The influence of competitive pressure on innovative creativity. Electronic Business Journal, 16(11), 22–32.
Mihaiu, D. M., Opreana, A., & Cristescu, M. P. (2010). Efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the public sector. Romanian Journal of Economic Forecasting, 4, 132–147.
Mumford, M. D., Hester, K. S., Robledo, I. C., Peterson, D. R., Day, E. A., Hougen, D. F., & Barrett, J. D. (2012). Mental models and creative problem-solving: The relationship of objective and subjective model attributes. Creativity Research Journal, 24(4), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.730008
Müller, S. D., & Ulrich, F. (2013). Creativity and information systems in a hypercompetitive environment: A literature review. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 32, 175–200. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.03207
Oldham, G. R., & Cummings, A. (1996). Employee creativity: Personal and contextual factors at work. The Academy of Management Journal, 39(3), 607–634. https://doi.org/10.5465/256657
Oluwadare, A. A. (2015). Creativity and innovation: A viable tool for entrepreneurial development. Global Advanced Research Journal of Educational Research and Review, 4(11), 225–231.
Paramitha, A., & Indarti, N. (2014). Impact of the environment support on creativity: Assessing the mediating role of intrinsic motivation. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 115, 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.419
Porter, M. E., Ketels, Ch., & Delgado, M. (2007). The microeconomic foundations of prosperity: Funding from the business competitiveness index. In M. E. Porter, X. Sala-i-Martín, & K. Schwab, The Global Competitiveness Report 2007–2008 (pp. 51–81). World Economic Forum.
Prabhu, V., Sutton, Ch., & Sauser, W. (2008). Creativity and certain personality traits: Understanding the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation. Creativity Research Journal, 20(1), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400410701841955
Rhodes, M. (1961). An analysis of creativity. The Phi Delta Kappan, 42(7), 305–310.
Rosenman, M. A., & Gero, J. S. (1996). Modelling multiple views of design objects in a collaborative CAD environment. Computer-Aided Design, 28(3), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-4485(96)86822-9
Serrat, O. (2009). Harnessing creativity and innovation in the workplace. Knowledge Solutions, 61. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/27596/harnessing-creativity-and-innovationworkplace.pdf
Shao, Y., Zhang, Ch., Zhou, J., Gu, T., & Yuan, Y. (2019). How does culture shape creativity? A minireview. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01219
Siddiqi, H., & Qureshi, M. (2016). The impact of employees’ creativity on the performance of the firm. Research Issues in Social Sciences, 1, 1–12.
Sözbilir, F. (2018). The interaction between social capital, creativity and efficiency in organizations. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 27, 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2017.12.006
Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The nature of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1801_10
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1991). An investment theory of creativity and its development. Human Development, 34(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1159/000277029
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1995). Defying the crowd: Cultivating creativity in a culture of conformity. The Free Press.
Stojcic, N., Hashi, I., & Orlic, E. (2018). Creativity, innovation effectiveness and productive efficiency in the UK. European Journal of Innovation Management, 21(4), 564–580. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2017-0166
United Nations. (2008). Creative Economy. Report 2008 – the challenge of assessing the creative economy: Towards informed policy-making. UNCTAD/UNDP.
Weinzimmer, L. G., Michel, E. J., & Franczak, J. L. (2011). Creativity and firm-level performance: The mediating effects of action orientation. Journal of Managerial Issues, 23(1), 62–82.
World Economic Forum. (2018). Creative disruption: The impact of emerging technologies on the creative economy. World Economic Forum.
Xiao Hua, T., Badara Kabia, A., & Arkady, D. (2015). Creativity and innovation. A road map to business success and growth in Sierra Leone: From intuition to process management. Global Journal of Management and Business Research: B Economics and Commerce, 15(4). https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume15/1-Creativity-and-Innovation.pdf
Yampolskiy, R. V. (2013). Efficiency theory: A unifying theory for information, computation and intelligence. Journal of Discrete Mathematical Sciences and Cryptography, 16(4–5), 259–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720529.2013.821361
Zahra, Sh. A., & Covin, J. G. (1994). The financial implications of fit between competitive strategy and innovation types and sources. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 5(2), 183–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/1047-8310(94)90002-7