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This assignment is based on the following requirement -
You will produce a portfolio that demonstrates all learning outcomes and includes 2 key components:
Section 1: Reflective Account (Approximately 2500 words)
A reflective account which critically evaluates and analyses your personal development through critical incidents experienced at work during the unit. You will be required to synthesise theoretical, practical and personal accounts of your growing capacity for creative and innovative leadership. The account will be supported by authentic examples from your work.
This section of your portfolio is likely to focus mainly on the first half of the unit where we consider individual blocks to creative thinking and the use of structured techniques, drawing on Proctor and others. You will need to reflect on your changing understanding of creativity and innovation. You will need to reflect on BS1 activities where you experienced cognitive blocks (e.g. Hurson) and where you were provided with the opportunity to experience the effectiveness of brainstorming and other structured techniques following the principles.
You will need to think about blocks to creative thinking and the focus on the use of structured techniques (see. Van Gundy, Proctor) within the Osborn-Parnes process, particularly at stages 3 (problem redefinition) and 4 (idea generation) where we have used structured techniques (of which brainstorming is only one example among many). You will also need to reflect on differences between structured techniques and the facilitation process. This will draw on your experiences in the workplace and BS2.
Explore practical, cognitive or emotional blocks to creative idea generation and how these might be overcome using structured techniques. Explore how structured techniques help overcome blocks to creative idea generation and how these might be usefully used within the Osborn-Parnes CPS model. Reflect upon and critically evaluate your personal models of capabilities and talents and those of others. Evaluate your capabilities and capacities for innovation and creativity. Produce a reflective review identifying perceived strengths and weaknesses in an organisational context. Identify, reflect upon and evidence key areas for development and stipulate areas of excellence in creative management and development. Reflections must be in-depth (Stage 4) with clear recommendations for professional practice emerging from your experiential learning.
Section 2: Case Study of your work organisation (Approximately 2500 words)
A case study of creativity and innovation in action in which your findings can be presented within a business report. The study will enable you to critically evaluate and synthesise your learning of how creativity and innovation might most effectively be promoted within your chosen institution. The case study will focus mainly on the social and organisational context of your work environment (Henry and others). This is where you will need to explore how your organisation supports or inhibits creativity and innovation. So what?
This requires that you explore the climate for creativity (e.g. Amabile, Ekvall, Isaksen) by undertaking an in-depth analysis of factors contributing to these models. Which might be the factors where your work environment supports creativity and innovation – if any? Which might be the factors that inhibit creativity and innovation? Climate surveys are based on psychometrically validated measures and the publishers charge for their use. You are not expected to carry out a diagnostic survey of the climate although if you would like to do this please discuss this with me personally. You are strongly discouraged from designing and implementing a survey yourself or using only some of the questions as this results in a loss of validity and reliability of the measurement and is, therefore, meaningless. A quantitative survey is all or nothing! However, this does not prevent you from discussing this with colleagues adopting a more qualitative approach. So what would you do differently?
An excellent case study is one where an in-depth analysis can be demonstrated. You might conclude that the work environment is highly supportive or your might conclude that it is not supportive at all. This must be an authentic account – be honest. You can achieve an excellent grade if your organisation is highly creative or not at all creative. You are assessed on the in- depth application of theory, analyses, conclusions and recommendations. You will need to extend this to consider the implications from the perspectives of creative leadership and human resource management and development. Extending your studies from Leading and Managing People, how might creative and innovative behaviours be supported by leadership and HRM?
 Identify, reflect upon and evidence key areas for development and stipulate areas of excellence in creative management and development.
 Draw on major theoretical perspectives and experiential learning to reflect upon and critically evaluate the implications for the workplace.
 Highlight perceived stimulants and obstacles to creativity and innovation in the work organisation
 Analyse critical incidents or future challenges in relation to a range of decision-making and creativity theories.
 Critically reflect upon the impact of leader creativity and behaviours to achieve organisational goals.
 Critically evaluate existing practices (your own and others) exploring the implications for creative leadership and organisational development and outline innovative recommendations for improvement.
 Evidence your analysis with practical examples. Demonstrate integration between applied theory, workplace scenarios and self-awareness of individual contribution to promoting productive working relationships. Authentic evidence through examples is useful in demonstrating your learning journey and your personal and professional development.
 Critically review the role of creativity in organisational development and demonstrate a capacity to balance innovation with other essential requirements.