The Impact of Creativity on Organizational Growth

Module Code:	BMA5000
Module Title:	Creativity for Business
Assignment:	S2. Individual Report (60%)
Word Count:	3000 words (+/- 10%)
Referencing Convention:	Harvard Referencing
Submit via:	Turnitin on VLE
Deadline	7th October 2024, at 23:59 pm
Module Leader:

Student Name:

Student ID.:

Total Word Count: 4000

Abstract

In this study, the concept of creativity and the impact of the same for the growth of an organisation have been assessed. The concept of creativity and the importance of the same for the market has been studied carefully and there has been a review of the literature and has been developed by scholars previously. The methodology which has been adopted for the study has been elaborated and by the application of interview, data has been gathered and analysed by the application of thematic analysis. These have been a reflection of the impact of the creativity on the company Unilever and the employee is a representative of the workforce and their performance in the company.

Introduction

In this study, there will be an assessment of the factors which result in the development of creativity and how they affect a business. Creativity is an essential component for the growth of any organisation and for the improvement of the competitive advantage of the organisations (Runco, 2023). This is practised in various forms- like promoting inclusion and diversity, making a space for psychological safety and having a culture of continuous development and learning. It will be done by understanding the basic concept of creativity and a literature review will be conducted about the how innovation affects an organisation. Primary data will be gathered by interviewing an employee of Unilever and this will be analysed by the application of thematic analysis. The objectives of this study are:

• To understand the concept of creativity and innovation and their importance in organisations

• To identify the ways in which they creativity and innovation are practised in an organisation

• To recommend strategies which can be adopted to improve on innovation within the organisation

Defining creativity

In a person, creativity can be defined as the traits and characteristics which can be used to develop ideas which are alternative methods or potential solutions to approaching a task (Magni, Park and Chao, 2024). Within an organisation, this results in the development of approaches which can be used to gain a competitive advantage in the market. The main result of creativity in an organisation is innovation. Innovation is defined as a new solution to something which can be considered an unmet need or demand (Peng and Tao, 2022). This usually consists of becoming more creative with the ideas and products for the customers and changing processes for the performance of the same. These are important parts of operations in companies as these ate able to solve the problems of customers and make sure that that the quality of decision-making is improved. The perspectives of the company are increased, along with the confidence of the employees and are seen in the leadership skills of the same. A person and is creative can be naturally an entrepreneurial as well. The issues with creativity lay in the fact that it needs people need many resources to materialise the innovations.

Literature Review

Introduction

In this section, the concept of creativity and the application of the same in the context of organisations will be assessed with the application of theoretical perspectives. This will be done by the application of the research which has been conducted by other scholars previously.

Understanding the concept of creativity and innovation and their importance in organisations

According to Sawyer and Henriksen (2024), innovation and creativity are methods which have been used historically to grow new methods and improve the same for the progress of civilisation. Creativity includes the capability to develop new ways to solve issues which can be applied for the judgement and this helps one understand how one can perform a task well. As per McKinsey & Company (2022), to achieve innovation, several factors are needed. These are the unmet needs of customers, the potential solutions to the problems and the business model of the company. Having a business model which is innovative ensures that a company has processes and are naturally innovative.

According to Indeed (2024), the main difference between innovation and creativity is that innovation is the stage to which people move after they have had creative thoughts and the success of the same can be measured. Innovation also needs organisations to make financial investments in the products or services being developed. Suchyadi and Suharyati(2021) claims that problem solving is the most prominent result of innovation in any organisation. Looking at this from the perspective of companies, the main aim is to motivate the employees and give them a sense of freedom at the workplace. This allows them to take new approaches to their work and be high performing teams. These results in the overall stress of the workplace reducing and the employees begin to work like teams. Indeed (2024) states that some examples of creativity have been seen in the form of the development of light bulbs, mobile phones, automobiles and so on.

Identifying the ways in which they creativity and innovation are practised in an organisation

According to Gajdzik and Wolniak (2022), the application of technology is one of the easiest ways of making sure that the company is able to promote creativity in an organisation. Innovation by the application of technology allows in the formation of improved and new products, which are significantly improved or different from the previous products. As per Yigitcanlar et al. (2021), AI is one of the most popular technologies which are used for the development of innovation. This is popularly used by companies and is encouraged by governments to make sure that processes can be optimised.

Rossoni et al. (2024) states the collaboration of academic institutions with the private sectors of the industry promotes high levels of innovation. The application of collaboration is essential for understanding the ways in which a creative concept can be materialised into innovation. Sharing an idea with a wide range of people ensures that the weaknesses of the same can be identified and avoided during the course of the development of the products. This allows for the culture of the company to be improved significantly. As per Hofstra et al. (2020), accepting diversity is highly important for the growth of innovation and increasing the competitive advantage of a company.

Gould et al. (2020) states that inclusion and diversity are highly important to the process of innovation as this allows for the development of new perspectives and the products and services being developed are of high quality. The sharing of ideas on equitable grounds allows for the identification of the best possible course of action. This also creates a working environment which is positive and gives the employees the scope to learn from their mistakes. Having an organisation and will be able to have a good understanding of the needs of their employees and their competence, which gives the opportunities to make sure that they have a competitive advantage in the market. As opined by Garzón Artacho et al. (2020), the process of learning needs consistency and creativity to work together.

Yun et al. (2020) has a cited that the culture of a place must welcome diversity and innovation as this motivates people to take initiative on their own. This allows the companies to retain the knowledge which have been gained within the organisation and they get the opportunity to make sure that this can be applied for creativity. This increases the competitive advantage of the company significantly for the organisation. One example of innovation which has been groundbreaking in the 21^st century is that of the development of electric automobiles (Graham, 2021). This is highly popular, as this is one of the things which have been developed to promote sustainability in the world and to conserve the natural fossil fuel. This discovery was made as a response to the growing issue of the depletion of the natural resources on earth.

Recommending strategies which can be adopted to improve on innovation within the organisation

Cuevas-Vargas et al. (2021) has states that the application of information communication technology in the company makes sure that the process of innovation is smoothened out. ICT can be understood as the application of resources and tools to process store and communicate information. The knowledge which is being gained within an organisation needs to be stored and this allows for the employees of the company to make sure that they can have a good control over the ways in which they perform the operations of the company. Communicating and transferring this knowledge among the employees of the company proves to help with the identification of ways in which the people can apply this for the growth of the organisation.

As per Naveed et al. (2022), the effectiveness of an organisation can be enhanced by innovation. Hence, it is important to make sure that the culture of the organisation can be kept positive, as this will allow the company motivate their employees. They have to be able to maintain a sense of autonomy and this will allow them to take initiatives. This will prove to be helpful for the growth of the company and will improve the competitive advantage of the company. Abbas et al. (2020), to ensure that a company can make a difference, the innovations being introduced by the same have to be made sustainable. Sustainable innovation is likely to last longer in the organisation and this allows for reducing the issues with the usage of natural resources. The products have to be developed while keeping in mind that the same needs to be sustainably developed. The goal of this is to make sure that the issues with the damage of environment and climate change can be managed effectively.

Theoretical Perspectives

Turin et al.(2023) have stated that the theory of diffusion of innovation shows how an innovation gains popularity among the population gradually. According to this model, there are five stages and have to be covered and these include knowledge, being persuaded, taking decisions, implementing the same and getting the acceptance confirmed. The four elements which have to be taken into consideration during the diffusion of innovation is innovation, the channels of communication, the time for the same and the social systems. The innovation needs to be communicated and being accepted into society needs time to be accepted.

As per Klerkx and Begemann (2020), innovation is highly dependent on the organisations and actors which are involved in the process. Networking allows for cooperation and communication between the actors. The flow of technology and information is an important part of innovation. The relationship between the actors has to be well-maintained, as this would make it easier for the company and the society to facilitate the development of innovation. The relationship between the actors and the transformation of technology and knowledge into innovation is a continuous process which requires creativity.

Literature Gap

The gap which has been identified in the literature is the lack of raw industry data about the impact of innovation and creativity within an organisation. This gap will be covered during the course of this study and this will show all the considerations which have to be made by companies to have a sense of constant growth.

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework

(Source: Created by the Learner)

Summary

This section has been a review of the literature which has been developed by other scholars previously. The main concepts of the study have been identified and evaluated and this has been followed by the study of the theoretical perspectives. The literature gap has been identified, along with the conceptual framework of the study.

Data analysis

Methodology

For this study, the process being applied for collecting data is the primary data, which will be studied by the applying of thematic analysis. Primary data can be defined as the information which is being gathered from a direct sourcing by a researcher (Franzitta et al., 2020).These are being tailored and the quality of the data is particularly high. The advantage of taking this approach to the study is that this is able to be offering insights. The issues with this approach are lying with the fact that this can be quite time-consuming and a costly method. This is also a flexible approach and is making sure that the analysis of the data is easier.

This opens up the scope for potential bias and can causes issues if the researcher does not have technical expertise. This will be studied by the application of thematic analysis. Thematic analysis can be understood as the method for qualitative research which is applied for the identification of the patterns of the study and the repeating sets of data (Mc Grath-Lone et al., 2022). The advantage of this approach lays in the fact that this is a flexible and accessible system and the disadvantage of this approach is that this method which does not have too many standards and can be a highly subjective study.

Data Collection and Results

The company Unilever operates in the manufacturing industry and they have been working with more than 10,000 (Unilever, 2024). The headquarters of the company are in Blackfriars in London. It was founded 1930 and the main products of the company are consumer goods. This is one of the best-known companies in the UK for innovative approaches and an employee of this company will be interviewed for the same.

Interviewee	Questions	Answer
Employee of Unilever	What are your thoughts about creativity in an organisation?	Creativity is one of the things which are highly essential for running an organisation. This has been the sole reason why we have become a multinational company today and have something for the benefit of all our customers. We like to make sure that we pitch in our ideas for the growth of the organisation and this is a good exercise to motivate us.
	How is creativity encouraged in your organisation?	Our managers make sure that they give a fair thought to the ideas we have. This makes us happy and allows us to think freely. We also like to sit together and discuss the ideas we each have, as we like to make sure we can have a good team. It is essential to note that not all the ideas are accepted at all times even if it is good due to the lack of resources.
	How have you benefitted from the practise of creativity within your organisation?	Yes, I have benefited from having my ideas accepted. The first thing it has helped me with is that it has significantly improved my confidence. I have taken more initiatives in my life, both professional and personal and this is something which needs to be taken into account. I have been a more social person ever since I started working here and the managers have been kind enough to motivate me as much as possible. However, one of the things which have to be taken into consideration is the fact that the company is not a place where people are not rewarded for their efforts.
	What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of these practises?	The main advantage of this is that someone will always find some aspect of a product or a service which needs improving. The issue with this is that always accepting all the proposals can be highly resource-intensive and this can cause the management to not always take suggestions seriously.
	Can you offer some recommendations for the organisation?	I would like to say that it is a good idea to allow the employees to be creative and they should keep this up at all circumstances. Accepting diversity is how globalisation has taken place and this means that the company will have the chances of having a steady growth with a significant competitive advantage in the market.

Table2: Interview Table

(Source: Created by the Learner)

Questions	Themes
What are your thoughts about creativity in an organisation?	Thoughts
How is creativity encouraged in your organisation?	Encouragement of creativity
How have you benefitted from the practise of creativity within your organisation?	Practice of creativity
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of these practises?	Advantages and disadvantages of creativity
Can you offer some recommendations for the organisation?	Recommendations for creativity

Table 3: Interview Table

(Source: Created by the Learner)

From this interview, it is evident that Unilever is supportive towards people having a creative tendency. This is a place, which is highly open-minded to the needs of the employees and the customers alike and the focus is on making sure that the products and services help the customers (Unilever, 2024). This is one of the things and have to be taken into consideration while understanding why the organisation is so popular. The employee claims that creativity is highly accepted in the company. According to Tidd and Bessant (2020), creativity is a necessity for the growth of every organisation.

An organisation has a positive culture when the management understands the need for the employees having ideas and the benefits of them expressing the same. This shows that the company will be able to have a good understanding of the needs of the customers since they have regular and consistent interactions with them. As per Tidd and Bessant (2020), this would mean that they would be able to understand the changing needs of the people, which would give them an easy competitive advantage over the other employees of the market. The employees who make a significant contribution to the company is rewarded for their efforts and this is an indication of how many the employees are motivated to take initiative. Zhouand Shalley (2024) states creativity can be practised easily by taking in the opinions of the people who work for the organisation.

Zhou and Shalley (2024) also state that there are multiple benefits of encouraging innovation and creativity and according to the interviewee, one of the benefits lie in the fact that this boosts the confidence of the employees. This means that the employees have of the company had the habit of not being overly reliant on the managers. This means that the company is able to have the employees who are focused on helping the company grow. The culture of the company is one of the main reasons why this is possible. The company is a supportive one and focuses on making sure that the goal of the same is reached by any means. Lam et al. (2021) have stated that employees should be encouraged to express themselves more as this would help them identify the requirements of the customers.

The main issue which has been highlighted by the employees lie in the fact that this is a process and is highly resource intensive. This means this is a process and cannot be done every single time due to the lack of financial and other resources. The products and services cannot be changed frequently either, as this would be confusing to customers. To be a creative organisation, it is essential that every possible scenario is evaluated and the same is tested in real life to avoid any kind of issues with the customers. The company Unilever should ideally promote creativity as much as possible as this is one of the main driving forces of growth of the company. Lam et al. (2021) have stated that diversity and inclusion is one of the best ways in which a company is able to achieve their goals and make sure that the employees remain motivated. The teams are able to be high performing which gives the company a significant competitive advantage over their competitors.

Conclusion

In this study, there has been an assessment of the ways in which the company will be able to have a good understanding of the impact of creativity and how this is able to help a company grow. The concept of creativity has been studied and this has been followed by a review of the literature of the concept of creativity and innovation. The methodology of the company has been developed and the main method of data collection which has been applied is that of primary data. Thematic analysis has been applied for the analysis of the study and this has given an idea of the things which have to be taken into consideration for the organisation to be creative.

References

Abbas, J., Zhang, Q., Hussain, I., Akram, S., Afaq, A. and Shad, M.A.(2020)‘Sustainable innovation in small medium enterprises: the impact of knowledge management on organizational innovation through a mediation analysis by using SEM approach.’ Sustainability, 12(6), p.2407.

Cuevas-Vargas, H., Fernandez-Escobedo, R., Cortes Palacios, H.A. and Ramirez-Lemus, L.(2021) ‘The Relation Between Adoption of Information and Communication Technologies and Marketing Innovation as a Key Strategy to Improve Business Performance.’ Journal of Competitiveness, (2).

Franzitta, V., Longo, S., Sollazzo, G., Cellura, M. and Celauro, C. (2020)‘Primary data collection and environmental/energy audit of hot mix asphalt production.’ Energies, 13(8), p.2045.

Gajdzik, B. and Wolniak, R. (2022)‘Smart production workers in terms of creativity and innovation: The implication for open innovation.’ Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(2), p.68.

Garzón Artacho, E., Martínez, T.S., Ortega Martin, J.L., Marin Marin, J.A. and Gomez Garcia, G. (2020)‘Teacher training in lifelong learning—The importance of digital competence in the encouragement of teaching innovation.’ Sustainability, 12(7), p.2852.

Gould, R., Harris, S.P., Mullin, C. and Jones, R. (2020)‘Disability, diversity, and corporate social responsibility: Learning from recognized leaders in inclusion.’ Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 52(1), pp.29-42.

Graham, J.D. (2021) The global rise of the modern plug-in electric vehicle: Public policy, innovation and strategy. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Hofstra, B., Kulkarni, V.V., Munoz-Najar Galvez, S., He, B., Jurafsky, D. and McFarland, D.A. (2020)‘The diversity–innovation paradox in science.’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(17), pp.9284-9291.

Indeed (2024)Why Is It Important To Be Creative And Innovative At Work. Available at:https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/creative-and-innovative(Accessed: 03 October 2024).

Klerkx, L. and Begemann, S. (2020)‘Supporting food systems transformation: The what, why, who, where and how of mission-oriented agricultural innovation systems.’ Agricultural Systems, 184, p.102901.

Lam, L., Nguyen, P., Le, N. and Tran, K. (2021)‘The relation among organizational culture, knowledge management, and innovation capability: Its implication for open innovation.’ Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), p.66.

Magni, F., Park, J. and Chao, M.M. (2024)‘Humans as creativity gatekeepers: Are we biased against AI creativity?.’ Journal of Business and Psychology, 39(3), pp.643-656.

Mc Grath-Lone, L., Jay, M.A., Blackburn, R., Gordon, E., Zylbersztejn, A., Wijlaars, L. and Gilbert, R. (2022)‘What makes administrative data “research-ready”? A systematic review and thematic analysis of published literature.’ International Journal of Population Data Science, 7(1).

McKinsey & Company (2022)What is innovation?. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-innovation (Accessed: 03 October 2024).

Naveed, R.T., Alhaidan, H., Al Halbusi, H. and Al-Swidi, A.K. (2022)‘Do organizations really evolve? The critical link between organizational culture and organizational innovation toward organizational effectiveness: Pivotal role of organizational resistance.’ Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(2), p.100178.

Peng, Y. and Tao, C. (2022)‘Can digital transformation promote enterprise performance?—From the perspective of public policy and innovation.’ Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(3), p.100198.

Rossoni, A.L., de Vasconcellos, E.P.G. and de Castilho Rossoni, R.L. (2024)‘Barriers and facilitators of university-industry collaboration for research, development and innovation: a systematic review.’ Management Review Quarterly, 74(3), pp.1841-1877.

Runco, M.A. (2023)‘AI can only produce artificial creativity.’ Journal of Creativity, 33(3), p.100063.

Sawyer, R.K. and Henriksen, D. (2024) Explaining creativity: The science of human innovation. Oxford university press.

Suchyadi, Y. and Suharyati, H. (2021)‘The Use Of Multimedia As An Effort To Improve The Understanding Ability Of Basic School Teachers ‘Creative Thinking In The Era ‘Freedom Of Learning,’.’ Yogyakarta: Zahir Publishing, pp.42-53.

Tidd, J. and Bessant, J.R. (2020) Managing innovation: integrating technological, market and organizational change. John Wiley & Sons.

Turin, T.C., Kazi, M., Rumana, N., Lasker, M.A.A. and Chowdhury, N. (2023)‘Employing diffusion of innovation theory for ‘not missing the mass’ in community-engaged research.’ BMJ open, 13(8), p.e069680.

Unilever (2024) We are Unilever. Available at: https://www.unilever.co.uk/our-company/ (Accessed: 03 October 2024).

Yigitcanlar, T., Corchado, J.M., Mehmood, R., Li, R.Y.M., Mossberger, K. and Desouza, K. (2021)‘Responsible urban innovation with local government artificial intelligence (AI): A conceptual framework and research agenda.’ Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), p.71.

Yun, J.J., Zhao, X., Jung, K. and Yigitcanlar, T. (2020)‘The culture for open innovation dynamics.’ Sustainability, 12(12), p.5076.

Zhou, J. and Shalley, C.E. eds.(2024) Handbook of organizational creativity. Psychology Press.

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Interview script

Interviewer Name:

Interviewee: Employee of Unilever

Coded name:

Date of Interview: 03.10.2024

Transcript:

1. What are your thoughts about creativity in an organisation?

According to the employee, creativity is one of the most essential forces in the organisation and they believe, this is one of the main reasons why the organisation has become an MNC which can cater to the needs of so many people. The employees of the company are welcome to pitch in ideas and this proves to motivate them.

2. How is creativity encouraged in your organisation?

The managers of the company make sure to consider the ideas of the employees. This results in high levels of employee satisfaction and the employees also take time to share and exchange their ideas. However, not all the ideas are accepted at all times as incorporating them would be highly resource intensive.

3. How have you benefitted from the practise of creativity within your organisation?

The employees of the company benefit significantly from being able to express their ideas. It has proven to improve the confidence of the employee, which means that they have voluntarily taken a lot of initiative in their lives, both personal and professional. The employee’s communication skills have improved and this has happened due to them being motivated by the managers. The company is a place where people get rewarded well for their hard work.

4. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of these practises?

The main benefit of this lies in the fact that the issues which can arise from the products and services of the company are accepted. The management does not always accept every single proposal as this would lead to using a lot of resources.

5. Can you offer some recommendations for the organisation?

According to the interviewee, it is a good idea to make sure that the employees have the scope of being a creative person in the organisation. They state that since globalisation also needs diversity and this is something which the company has, their competitive advantage is increased significantly.

Appendix 2 – Informed interview consent form

Participant Consent Form

for Creativity for Business Module Interview

Why is Creativity important for organisations?

Please tick the boxes below if you agree with the statements.

1. 

   I confirm that I have read and understood the information for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.

2. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time, without giving any reason.

3. I understand that all information given is confidential and only for the study and that all data will be anonymised.

4. 

   I agree to take part in the study, to complete a brief set of questions.

5. I agree to my voice being digitally recorded to transcribe after for the sole purpose of this report.

6. I agree that the research results can be included in this report only.

If you wish to take part, please write and sign your name below.

Name of participant

Signature

Date

Participant Code:

FOR COMPLETION BY THE RESEARCHER

I ……………………………………………[insert name], confirm that I have informed the above named about this research project. I have given them the Information Sheet. To the best of my knowledge, they have understood and have given free and informed consent to become a participant in the research project.

Signed .................................................................. Date ………………..............

Data Protection Act

I understand that data collected about me during my participation in this study will be stored on computer and that any files containing information about me will be made anonymous. I agree to researchers from Leeds Beckett University recording and analysing this information. I understand that information will be used only for the purpose of this study and my consent is conditional upon the University complying with its duties and obligations under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.Leeds Beckett University processes data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

To understand how we collect, look after and share your data you should read this Research Participant Privacy Notice [https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/-/media/files/policies/information-governance/upig_research_participant_privacy_notice.pdf]

¹Participants can withdraw from the study at any point without giving a reason. However to maintain anonymity and confidentiality we will not ask you for your name or any other information which will identify you during data collection. For this reason, if you do complete a questionnaire and interview but afterwards you wish to withdraw from the study, you can do this up to the 30^th of September 2023; the analysis and summarising of the information will have begun by then and it will not be possible to identify the information which came from you.

Information about the study given to participants

An investigative Report on why ‘creativity is important in organisations’

You are invited to participate in a study conducted by …………………………………. from ‘Bath Spa University' . As part of a Business and Management degree course, level 5 and supervised by the Module Leader. This project is being conducted to investigate the importance of creativity within an organisation.

The information gathered, will be in the form of an interview, which will solely be based around the topic of creativity. The findings from this interview will then be transcribed into a report for this module Creativity for Business. Participants will have their views recorded, digitally technology permitted or written down during the interview process.

What will you have to do if you agree to take part?

Once you have finished reading this information sheet, you will be asked to consent to start the interview process. The interview will last approximately 30-45 minutes. You will be asked to answer a series of questions in relation to creativity within an organisation. From these findings it will then be analysed and converted into a report.

Will your participation in the project remain confidential?

Any responses you provide will be completely anonymous – you will be asked to generate a participant code which will be kept with your responses in case of withdrawal of data. This is the code the interviewer will use when writing out the report. Only the research team will have access to the participant codes. To clarify your responses (anonymous) will solely be used for this report only.

Do you have to take part in the study?

No, your participation in this interview process is entirely voluntary. You are not obliged to take part. If you do not wish to take part, you do not have to give a reason and you will not be contacted again. Similarly, if you do agree to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time during the interview process, if you change our mind.

Please note that once your data has been included in the report for the sole purpose of this Creativity for Business module assignment it cannot be withdrawn. Participants can have access to the final report based on the researchers’ findings.

Appendix 3 – Interview plan

Planning your interview for assessment 2, answer each question below.

1. Who will you interview?

An employee of Unilever

2. Where do they work?

Unilever

3. What kind of job do they do?

Product Developer

4. Where will you interview them?

At the breakroom of their workplace

5. How will you record the interview?

With the application of mobile phone recorders

6. When will you conduct the interview?

On 3^rd October 2024

7. Which questions will you ask in the interview?

• What are your thoughts about creativity in an organisation?

• How is creativity encouraged in your

• organisation?

• How have you benefitted from the practise of creativity within your organisation?

• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of these practises?

• Can you offer some recommendations for the organisation?

8. How will you analyse your interview data?

By the application of thematic analysis

Appendix 4 – Ethics form

Section 1: Basic Details Interviewing a worker for Assignment 2 based on Creativity. Student (Interviewer) name: Intended interview date: 03.10.2024 Section 2: Project Summary Please select all research methods that you plan to use as part of your assignment. Interviews: Questionnaires Observations: DataAnalysis: x FocusGroups: Other (please specify): Thematic Analysis Section 3: Participants Please answer thefollowingquestions,givingfulldetailswherenecessary. 3.1 Willyourresearchinvolvehumanparticipants? Yes No 3.2. What age are the participants? Circle all that apply: Ages 12-16 [ ]17-21 [ ] 22+ [ ] 3.3 How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)? On the basis of their job role 3.4 Willparticipantsbegiventheoptionofomittingquestionstheydonotwish toanswer? YesNo N/A Section 4: Data Storage and Security 4.1. Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act (1998) Yes No N/A Who will have access to the data and personal information? 4.2. During the research: The student and the guiding professors 4.3. Will mobile devices, such as USB storage and laptops be used? Yes No If yes, please provide further details: After the research: Section 5: Ethical Issues Are there any features of your proposed work which may raise ethical concerns, see examples below? If so, please outline how you will deal with these. Please consider/ address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not limited to the following: Informed consent. Potentially vulnerable participants. Sensitive topics. Risks to participants and/or researchers. Confidentiality/anonymity. Disclosures/limits to confidentiality. Data storage and security, both during and after the research (including transfer, sharing, encryption, protection). If Yes please explain: Section 6: Declaration 6.1. I have read, understood, and will abide by this ethical policy: Yes No I confirm that to the best of my knowledge: Theaboveinformationiscorrect,andthisisafulldescriptionoftheethicalissuesthatmayariseduringmyresearch. Name: Date: