Me Creative

MANTISSA ASSIGNMENT COVER Student Name Student ID Programme Module Subject: Module code: Name of Lecturer: Assignment title: Assignment Submission date

AYANLEKE JULIUS BBA - F1308 - 0324 BBA PGSM CREATIVE PROCESS MG 430 MS. MAUREEN THEORIES OF CREATIVE AND PROBLEMM SOLVING Name of Group Extension date agreed Actual Late Members (Written approval from submission date Mantissa office)

04 - 07 - 2014 Explanation for Late submission (if applicable) Interim mark awarded

IMPORTANT: 1. All completed assignments must be accompanied by PGSM front cover sheet when submitted. 2. Students are required to submit their work through MORE Portal to ensure the originality of their work. 3. All references must be fully cited in Harvard/ APA notation. 4. Plagiarism in any form will result in severe penalties. 5. Work submitted within up to 7 calendar days late = 10 marks subtracted. 6. Work submitted up to 10 calendar days late = 20 marks subtracted. 7. Work submitted more than 10 calendar days late = 1 marks awarded. Declaration: I declare that a) No part of this assignment has been copied from any other person’s work except where due acknowledgement is made in the text. b) No part of this assignment had been written for me by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorized by lecturer concerned. c) All grades obtained by students are final. Appeal can only be made (on FAIL case only) to the Academic Borad along with a payment of RM 100.00 to formalise the Process. d) the University/ College uses plagiarism detection software. Student Signature ___________________________ Date _____________________

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

Table of Content Topics Pages Introduction................................................................................................ .................3 Theories of Creativity Brainstorming................................................................................................ ...............4 Six Thinking Hats............................................................................................................4 -5 IDEAL Model............................................................................................................ .......5-7 Problem Solving and Decision Making Process What is Problem Solving..................................................................................................7 Problem Solving Matrix...................................................................................................7-8 Problem Solving Techniques...........................................................................................8-9 Decision Making Process.................................................................................................9 Complex Problem Solving and Decision Making.............................................................9-10 Conclusion................................................................................................... ...................10 References.................................................................................................. .....................11

Page 2 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

INTRODUCTION Much of what people, managers or organisations do is to solve problems and make decisions. Often, they are "under the gun", stressed and very short for time. Consequently, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before. It is easy with this approach to get stuck in a circle of solving the same problem over and over again. Therefore, it is often useful to get used to an organized approach to problem solving and decision making. However, the following basic guidelines in the paragraphs below will get you started.

Page 3 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

Theories to Creativity Brainstorming is the process for generating creative ideas and solutions through intensive and freewheeling group discussion. Every participant is encouraged to think aloud and suggest as many ideas as possible, no matter seemingly how outlandish or bizarre. Analysis, discussion, or criticism of the aired ideas is allowed only when the brainstorming session is over and evaluation session begins. See also lateral thinking and nominal

group

technique.

By

contrast,

brainstorming

provides

a

freewheeling environment in which everyone is encouraged to participate. Quirky ideas are welcomed, and many of the issues of group problemsolving are overcome. All participants are asked to contribute fully and fairly, liberating people to develop a rich array of creative solutions to the problems they are facing. . It asks that people come up with ideas and thoughts that can at first seem to be a bit crazy. The idea here is that some of these ideas can be crafted into original, creative solutions to the problem you're trying to solve, while others can spark still more ideas. During brainstorming sessions there should therefore be no criticism of ideas: You are trying to open up possibilities and break down wrong assumptions about the limits of the problem. Judgments and analysis at this stage stunt idea generation. Ideas should only be evaluated at the end of the brainstorming session. This is the time to explore solutions further using conventional approaches (Osborn, 1963). Six Thinking Hat: There are six metaphorical hats and the thinker can put on or take off one of these hats to indicate the type of thinking being used. This putting on and taking off is essential. The hats must never be used to categorize individuals, even though their behaviour may seem to invite this. When done in group, everybody wear the same hat at the same time (De Bono, 1985). White Hat Thinking: This covers facts, figures, information needs and gaps. I think we need some white hat thinking at this point which means let us drop the arguments and proposals, and look at the data base.

Page 4 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

Red Hat Thinking: This covers intuition, feelings and emotions. The red hat allows the thinker to put forward an intuition without any need to justify it. Putting on the red hat, I think this is a terrible proposal. Usually feelings and intuition can only be introduced into a discussion if they are supported by logic. Usually the feeling is genuine but the logic is spurious. The red hat gives full permission to a thinker to put forward his or her feelings on the subject at the moment. Black Hat Thinking: This is the hat of judgment and caution. It is a most valuable hat. It is not in any sense an inferior or negative hat. The black hat is used to point out why a suggestion does not fit the facts, the available experience, the system in use, or the policy that is being followed. The black hat must always be logical. Yellow Hat Thinking: This is the logical positive. Why something will work and why it will offer benefits. It can be used in looking forward to the results of some proposed action, but can also be used to find something of value in what has already happened. Green Hat Thinking: This is the hat of creativity, alternatives, proposals, what is interesting, provocations and changes. Blue Hat Thinking: This is the overview or process control hat. It looks not at the subject itself but at the thinking about the subject. Putting on my blue hat, I feel we should do some more green hat thinking at this point. In technical terms, the blue hat is concerned with meta-cognition. IDEAL Model This is a model for improving problem solving skills. It is based on research in the field of problem solving. The components of the approach are represented by the acronym IDEAL (Bransford, 1993). Where I = Identify problems and opportunities. D = Define goals .E = Explore possible strategies. A = Anticipate outcomes and act. Page 5 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

L = Look back and learn. Identifying Problems And Opportunities: The argument is that one should identify potential problems and treat them as opportunities to do something creative. It is just as important actively to look for problems as simply to respond to them when they become critical or when they are noticed. Identifying problems and then treating them as opportunities in the dimension of organisation can lead to the establishment of a strong competitive advantage by creative application of SWOT matrix. Defining Goals: Different goals often reflect how people understand a problem. For example, the problem of lack of strategic direction in the business could be identified. All concerned might agree that it could represent an opportunity to do something creative. Defining the goal is thus a crucial step in moving towards a solution to a problem. In practice today, people often do not consider alternative goals but move straight to the exploration of strategies. Under these circumstance, strategies may well be generated which lead to the solution to a given problem, but deciding which one to choose then becomes a difficult problem. Moreover, if goals have not been specified, solution strategies which are generated may not provide acceptable answers to a problem. Exploring Possible Strategies: This involves re-analysing goals and considering options or strategies that might be employed to achieve those goals. It is easy to consider all the relevant information without experiencing a strain on short-term memory capacity. As problems increase in complexity, this becomes more difficult to do. Creating external representation is an effective way of keeping track on exploring every possibilities, rather than trying to keep all the information in the head. This allows them to think more freely about the problem to solve. There are many ways of recording and analysing a problem: graphs and Venn diagrams are examples (Heppner, 1989).

Page 6 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

Anticipating Outcomes And Acting: Following the selection of a strategy, contingency plans should be drawn up and the strategy implemented. Often, an active role in testing strategies has to be taken before possible outcomes can be anticipated. The building and testing of a prototype, for example, can often help anticipate the outcomes of particular strategies. Looking Back And Learning: The last component of the IDEAL model is to look at the effects of the particular strategy and learn from the experience. When trying to solve a problem the emphasis should be on finding the first step rather than on trying to find a complete solution immediately. Having tried out the fi rst step and learned from the experience, one can then proceed to work through subsequent steps. Test marketing is a case in point, where the launch of a new product is done on a gradual basis. Any aspects of the introduction which are less than satisfactory are corrected before the next stage in the roll-out process. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Process Problem solving is a process in which we perceive and resolve a gap between a present situation and a desired goal, with the path to the goal blocked by known or unknown obstacles. In general, the situation is one not previously encountered, or where at least a specific solution from past experiences is not known. In contrast, decision making is a selection process where one of two or more possible solutions is chosen to reach a desired goal. The steps in both problem solving and decision making are quite similar. In fact, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. These are the steps in Problem solving process: Problem Solving Matrix 1. Define the Problem  Differentiate fact from opinion  Specify underlying cause  State the problem specifically  determine in which process Page 7 of 13

2. Generate Alternative Solutions  

Postpone evaluating alternative initially Specify alternatives

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

3. Evaluate and Select an

consistent with organisational goals  Specify short and long term alternatives  Brainstorm on other ides 4. Implement and Follow up on

Alternative

Solution





the problem lies Avoiding to solve the problem without data

Evaluate all alternative without bias Evaluate both proven and positive outcomes State the selected alternatives explicitly



Plan and implement a pilot test of the chosen alternative   Gather feedback from all affected parties   Establish ongoing measures and monitoring  Evaluate long term results based on final solution Most models of problem solving and decision making include at least four phases (1) an Input phase in which a problem is perceived and an attempt is made to understand the situation or problem; 2) a Processing phase in which alternatives are generated and evaluated and a solution is selected; 3) an Output phase which includes planning for and implementing the solution; and 4) a Review phase in which the solution is evaluated and modifications are made, if necessary. Most researchers describe the problem-solving/decision-making process as beginning with the perception of a gap and ending with the implementation and evaluation of a solution to fill that gap. Problem-Solving Techniques It is not enough to describe a problem-solving process and to describe how individuals or group differ in their approach to or use of it. It is also necessary to identify specific techniques of attending to individual or group differences. Fortunately, a variety of problem-solving techniques have been identified to accommodate individual preferences. Some of these techniques are more individuals oriented, who tend to be more linear and serial, more structured, more rational and analytical, and more goal-oriented in their approach to problem solving. Another techniques are more tailored towards group who demonstrate a preference for an Page 8 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

approach that is more holistic and parallel, more emotional and intuitive, more creative, more visual, and more tactual. It is important that techniques from both categories be selected and used in the problemsolving process (Duemler, 1988). The following problem-solving techniques focus more on creative, lateral, or divergent thinking: A. Brainstorming: attempting to spontaneously generate as many ideas on a subject as possible; ideas are not critiqued during the brainstorming process; participants are encouraged to form new ideas from ideas already stated (Osborn, 1963). B. Imaging/visualization: producing mental pictures of the total problem or specific parts of the problem (Wonder, 1984). C. Incubation: putting aside the problem and doing something else to allow the mind to unconsciously consider the problem (Osborn, 1963); E. Outrageous provocation: making a statement that is known to be absolutely incorrect and then considering it; used as a bridge to a new idea. Also called inside out (Wonder, 1984). G. Random word technique: selecting a word randomly from the dictionary and juxtaposing it with problem statement, then brainstorming about possible relationships (Beinstock, 1984). Decision-Making Process Decision are choices made from two or more alternatives. Decision making occurs as a reaction to a problem or an opportunity. decision making happens at all level of the organisation. Knowing how to make decision is an important part of everyday life. Processes in making decision:

Page 9 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

1. Define and clarify the issue - does it warrant action? If so, now? Is the matter urgent, important or both. According to the Pareto principle of 80:20 can be applied in order to know which issue is more urgent and how much it required. . 2. Gather all the facts and understand their causes. 3. Think about or brainstorm possible options and solutions. 4. Consider and compare the pros and cons of each option - consult if necessary - it probably will be. 5. Select the best option - avoid vagueness or 'foot in both camps' compromise. 6. Explain the decision to those involved and affected, and follow up to ensure proper and effective implementation. Complex Problems And Decisions This are use for more difficult problem solving and decision making involving more than two possible options. Usage of several pros and cons tables in conjunction, to compare the overall weight or benefits of each option. In this case, the wording of the options is important. Also consider that some decisions and challenges are difficult because you do not have the necessary knowledge or experience, in which case you need first to decide if the decision or challenge is actually appropriate and necessary for you at this stage. Some decisions have to be made whether you are ready or not. Others might not be as pressing as you imagine. Do not be forced into a change-based decision if having considered the implications carefully you decides that it is not the best thing to do. The decision to do nothing different, in the right way for the right reasons, is often a perfectly good option. Well prepared decisions are easier to make and to implement, and generally produce the best results.

Page 10 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

Page 11 of 13

MG430

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

Conclusion In general, there is a need to develop and use a problem-solving and decision-making process that is both scientific and considerate of individual differences and viewpoints. While the various techniques has provided a method used successfully in a wide variety of situations and individual differences that can influence perspectives and goals related to problem solving; these differences can be used to identify appropriate problem-solving techniques used in each step of the problem-solving process.

Page 12 of 13

BBA-F1304-0324

MG430

References Bransford J., and Stein B., (1984). The IDEAL problem solver. New York: W. H. Freeman. Beinstock E., (1984). Creative problem solving (Cassette Recording). Stamford, CT: Walden Tapes. Duemler D., and Mayer R., (1988). Hidden costs of Reflectiveness: Aspects of successful scientific reasoning. Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 80(4), pp 419-423. De Bono E., (1985).Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management. Little, Brown, & Company. ISBN 0-316-17791-1 Heppner P., Neal G., and Larson L., (1984). Problem-solving training as prevention with college students. Personnel and Guidance Journal, issue 62, pp. 514-519. Osborn, A. (1963). Applied imagination: 3rd Edn. New York: Scribner. Rubenstein M., (1986). Tools for thinking and problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Wonder J., and Donovan P., (1984). Whole-brain thinking: Working from both sides of the brain to achieve peak job performance. New York: Ballantine Books.

Page 13 of 13