discussion 1

Some structures and conditions that can facilitate creativity and innovation are having a “dynamic and nimble execution strategy” and “quickly ehanc[ing] new unique capabilities in individuals, team [and] business units” (Desai, 2013, p. 40). Meaning that an organization and those within it need to be adaptable and willing to change with the consumer climate, ideally ahead of its competitors. This could mean changing its business practices, formulas, and being constantly open to feedback and critiques. This push can enhance creativity and innovation because constantly looking for improvements or reinventing something that already seemed ideal, calls for people to think outside the box and to question their work and ask what can be done to be better. To add, people feel most creative and innovative when given freer reign on their tasks. This is because many professionals “become dissatisfied and even disillusioned when narrowly structured tasks require them to use only a small portion of their overall competencies and educational training” (Desai, 2013, p. 40). As it might be imagined, unhappy employees generally do not provide the best quality of work. So, by providing liberty to their tasks, they are more likely to use their skillsets and find more unique outcomes for their organizations. The opposite of the aforementioned could inhibit creativity and innovation. Such as not participating in the changing market and staying to traditional methods. This also feeds into not enhancing employee capabilities, who very well might have suggestions to improve strategies. An organizational example of this inhibition was Boarders the bookstore that went out of business. They had success for years but as the digital age started to take over, they did not advance but instead stayed with more traditional outlets. For instance, they “went heavy into CD music sales and DVD, just as the industry was going digital. And at that same time, Barnes & Noble was pulling back” and instead released its own e-reader while Boarders kept to physical books and merchandise (Noguchi, 2011). Barnes and Noble adapted, even with their emphasis, being a traditional item—books, while Boarders did not follow suite.

References

Desai, J. (2013). Innovation engine: Driving execution for breakthrough results. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN-13: 9781118355039

Noguchi, Y. (2011, November 19). Why Borders Failed While Barnes & Noble Survived. Retrieved from

https://www.npr.org/2011/07/19/138514209/why-borders-failed-while-barnes-and-noble-survived

discussion 2 

Starbucks Coffee operates on a matrix organizational structure, which is a hybrid mixture of diverse features from the basic types of organizational structures. The company’s main elements of firm are: functional hierarchy, geographic divisions, teams and product-based divisions. This structure works for Starbucks because they have stores worldwide, which means that a hierarchy is an important factor as far as relaying information and separates divisions based on business functions. Since Starbucks has stores worldwide, geographic divisions enable closer managerial support for geographic needs. Teams are the most visible on a lower firm level. This feature of Starbucks’s corporate structure enables the business to provide effective and efficient service to consumers.

The facet of the company structure which inhibits creativity and innovation is the products-based divisions. These divisions address product lines. For example, the firm has a division for coffee and related products, another division for baked goods, and another division for merchandise like mugs. This feature of the corporate structure enables Starbucks to focus on product development. In this way, the company develops and innovates its products with support through its organizational structure (Meyer, 2019).

References:

Meyer, P. (2019, February 14). Starbucks Coffee’s Organizational Structure & Its Characteristics. Retrieved from

Starbucks’ Organizational Structure & Its Characteristics

discussion 3

Alan Iny who works as senior creative thinking specialist at BCG consulting company, in his lecture “reigniting creativity in business” that reveals that creativity in workplace typically brings more contradiction and thinking out of box even can’t give us the structure to build our creativity, however, we should embrace doubt, as doubt can act as key to bring creativity, further, according to Alan Iny, critical thinking and capability is lacking for employees those work in organizational environment, here, organizational leadership team must allow employees to reveal their doubt for anything that they think true, however, many organization may not hear view, opinions of employees and their doubt usually don’t get priority, hence, anything that we believe that some process is much perfect, we may think social media practices are much right for people, but there should be doubt to reevaluate the process and activities to reveal that whether that process really performing good or not. Here, we should change our mental model over time and apply critical thinking and believe that anything can’t be permanent and it subject to change. Previously hierarchical arrangement was most recommended for any organization, but due to changing environment and technological advances, organizations are extending their collaboration and changing the box thinking of hierarchical arrangement. Again, there are changes like many organizations give priority to lateral career movement, some organizations also keep emphasis on cross departmental movement. Further, we should be more aware about assumption and constraints to challenge status quo, needs from organization, customer that can help us to change the existing ideas and implement the new ideas.