CREATIVITY AS A DYNAMIC ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITY

This doctoral study is run by Norconsult AS, a consultancy in civil and environmental engineering. The study will inductively build a theory on "how an organization's ability to be creative can be enhanced so to become a lasting structural organizational capability to: 1) dynamically answer market demand 2)increase market share and 3)build competitive advantage". Creativity is defined here as "the ability of thinking out of scheme, reaching new and functional conclusions, suited to solve a problem or to catch an opportunity (Bertone, 1993)". The experimental field work is perfomed within the ongoing Creativity and Innovation Program being currently implemented at Norconsult AS. The program introduces creativity management in corporate training, project w ork, customer care, and administration routines. The company aims at developing a lasting creative capability in the organization and is eager to understand concretely how this can build a competitive advantage in its market. The research work will focus on microlevel organizational patterns (such as strategic business practices, work processes and routines) to se how and with which effects (both at micro and macro level) these are impacted by deliberate creative thinking. The theory developed by the doc toral study will contribute to understand how creativity management can be a concrete tool to stimulate business growth.