Creative ability in business

Researchers have proposed several theoretical explanations of how employee creativity is fostered and developed in organizations. The early literature attributed creativity to personal factors, such as personality and cognitive ability. Researchers also examined the role of environmental factors, such as role models, support and feedback in creativity. More recent research suggests that when individuals lack creativity-relevant skills, there are certain contextual factors that can provide support for the development of the necessary skills. However, there is a dearth of empirical research investigating these relationships. This dissertation summarizes extant research and advances the field by empirically testing the individual and collective roles of personal and contextual factors in employee creativity.

The preoperational stage of a new venture is characterized by concept definition, idea enhancement, and strategy formulation. Entrepreneurs consult advisors in knowledge sharing activities. Trust is dominant in these entrepreneur-advisor relationships as entrepreneurs rely on an advisor's judgment to keep venture ideas away from competitors. However, the relationships between trust, knowledge sharing, and knowledge security during the preoperational stage of a new high-tech venture are not directly examined in many research studies. Concerning types of trust, McAllister (1995) defines two types of interpersonal trust: affective trust, which develops from emotional bonds between individuals, and calculative trust, which is based on an individual's level of competence and reliability. The present study applies McAllister's (1995) theory of types of trust to Kale, Singh, and Perlmutter (2000) findings to examine how trust relationships between entrepreneurs and advisors affect knowledge sharing and an entrepreneur's use of NDAs. This dissertation's research primary question is, "How does trust between an entrepreneur and advisors affect knowledge sharing and choices of knowledge security mechanisms during the preoperational stage of a new high-tech venture?" I used de Koning and Muzyka's (1999) classification of the entrepreneur's social context to define three advisor types: Close Friends, Business Associates, and Licensed Professionals. Linking these types with literature on trust and knowledge, I hypothesize seven relationships dealing with trust, knowledge sharing, and knowledge security. I used structured and non-structured interview formats to collect data on 143 entrepreneur/advisor relationships in South Florida.

Utilizing a modified Delphi Technique research study, consensus was sought from 298 practitioners in the public assembly facility management (PAFM) industry regarding their perceptions on varied matters connected to the academic preparation of managers/executives serving the industry. A comprehensive literature review and a prior pilot study were conducted for the purpose of creating the initial survey (Questionnaire 1). The pilot study consisted of an open-ended interview session with a panel (N=16) of PAFM managers. Sixty-four (64) of 66 consensus-seeking items attained consensus from the respondents (N=298) after Questionnaire 1 results were tabulated. Respondents were given the opportunity to re-assess their Questionnaire 1 choices in Questionnaire 2 and if compelled, change them. Items related to Kinesiology and Physical Education did not attain consensus status in Questionnaire 1 or Questionnaire 2. This study concluded: a) academic program in PAFM is beneficial to the industry (96%) and 63.5% viewed the degree as very important or essential; b) the preferred academic delivery level was Bachelors/undergraduate (52.7%); c) the degree program should be housed in Business (42%); d) the preferred competencies and skill sets were identified; e) the preferred course components were identified.