Putting Creativity to Work: The Implementation of Creative Ideas in Organizations

Abstract

The production of creative ideas does not necessarily imply their implementation. This study examines the possibility that the relation between creativity and implementation is regulated by individuals' motivation to put their ideas into practice and their ability to network, or, alternatively, the number of strong relationships they maintain. Using data from 216 employees and their supervisors, results indicated that individuals were able to improve the otherwise negative odds of their creative ideas being realized when they expected positive outcomes to be associated with their implementation efforts and when they were skilled networkers or had developed a set of strong "buy-in" relationships.