Innovation and Creativity in Organizations

TLDR

Creativity and innovation are vital to organizational success, yet research has focused on idea generation for creativity and both generation and implementation for innovation. The authors propose a new integrative definition of creativity and innovation as parts of the same process and present a guiding framework of 11 themes and 60 questions for future research. They review research from 2002–2013, discuss seminal theories, apply a levels‑of‑analysis framework to examine innovation from individuals to multilevel contexts, and note key measurement characteristics. The study concludes with a guiding framework of 11 themes and 60 questions for future research.

Abstract

Creativity and innovation in any organization are vital to its successful performance. The authors review the rapidly growing body of research in this area with particular attention to the period 2002 to 2013, inclusive. Conceiving of both creativity and innovation as being integral parts of essentially the same process, we propose a new, integrative definition. We note that research into creativity has typically examined the stage of idea generation, whereas innovation studies have commonly also included the latter phase of idea implementation. The authors discuss several seminal theories of creativity and innovation and then apply a comprehensive levels-of-analysis framework to review extant research into individual, team, organizational, and multilevel innovation. Key measurement characteristics of the reviewed studies are then noted. In conclusion, we propose a guiding framework for future research comprising 11 major themes and 60 specific questions for future studies.