Chapter 7 Discussion: Mind Benders

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Mind Benders

Innovation is key to corporate success. Companies that innovate and embrace the changes in their business environment tend to outperform those that standstill. Even so, innovative companies dont simply rely on the creativity of their own workforce. They often contract with outside providers to generate new ideas for everything from operations to new products. In other words, innovative companies fill gaps in their own creativity by looking outside the organization.

As a manager, you will benefit from understanding how you are creative (not if you are creative). And just as important as your own creativity is your attitude toward creative endeavors. This assessment will provide some baseline information you can use as you develop your managerial skills. Indicate the extent to which each of the following statements is true of either your actual behavior or your intentions at work. That is, describe the way you are or the way you intend to be on the job. Use this scale for your responses:

1. Almost never true
2. Seldom true
3. Not applicable
4. Often true
5. Almost always true

1. I openly discuss with my supervisor how to get ahead.

1 2 3 4 5

2. I try new ideas and approaches to problems.

1 2 3 4 5

3. I take things or situations apart to find out how they work.

1 2 3 4 5

4. I welcome uncertainty and unusual circumstances related to my tasks.

1 2 3 4 5

5. I negotiate my salary openly with my supervisor.

1 2 3 4 5

6. I can be counted on to find a new use for existing methods or equipment.

1 2 3 4 5

7. Among my colleagues and coworkers, I will be the first or nearly the first to try out a new idea or method.

1 2 3 4 5

8. I take the opportunity to translate communications from other departments for my workgroup.

1 2 3 4 5

9. I demonstrate originality.

1 2 3 4 5

10. I will work on a problem that has caused others great difficulty.

1 2 3 4 5

11. I provide critical input toward a new solution.

1 2 3 4 5

12. I provide written evaluations of proposed ideas.

1 2 3 4 5

13. I develop contacts with experts outside my firm.

1 2 3 4 5

14. I use personal contacts to maneuver into choice work assignments.

1 2 3 4 5

15. I make time to pursue my own pet ideas or projects.

1 2 3 4 5

16. I set aside resources for the pursuit of a risky project.

1 2 3 4 5

17. I tolerate people who depart from organizational routines.

1 2 3 4 5

18. I speak out in staff meetings.

1 2 3 4 5

19. I work in teams to try to solve complex problems.

1 2 3 4 5

20. If my coworkers are asked, they will say I am witty.

1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL = ____

Interpreting the Score

Here is what your score means.

Add up the numbers associated with your responses to the 20 items. Generally speaking, the higher your score, the more innovative your attitude. Compare your score to the norm group (consisting of graduate and undergraduate business school students, all of whom were employed full time) represented in the table below. The percentile indicates the percentage of people who are expected to score below you.

Score	Percentile
39	5
53	16
62	33
71	50
70	68
89	86
97	95

Source: J. E. Ettlie and R. D. OKeefe, Innovative Attitudes, Values, and Intentions in Organizations, Journal of Management Studies 19 (1982): 163182.

Your Comments...

Please share your thoughts on this self-assessment, your results, and its implications.

If you have not had work experience to date, consider instead a team, club, or organization in which you have been a participant.

With all discussions, you are expected to make an initial posting (250-word minimum), AND then you must post a reply to at least one classmate's posting (100-word minimum) by midnight of the due date. You get half of the points for each of these required postings. However, you are encouraged to reply to more than one classmate.