Deck 11: Creativity Innovation and Leadership

Question 1

Work groups tend to be more creative when group members support each other, and the group is diverse in a number of ways.

Answer 1

True
Work groups are the most likely to be creative when they are mutually supportive and when they have a diversity of back grounds and perspectives.

Question 2

The last step in the creative process is verification and application.

Answer 2

True
Step 5 is verification and application. The individual sets out to prove that the creative solution has merit.

Question 3

To enhance creativity, it is best to carefully specify the best method for workers to accomplish a work goal.

Answer 3

False
Workers tend to be more creative when they are granted the freedom to choose which method is best for attaining a work goal.

Question 4

Business leaders rarely use brainstorming because the technique is mostly geared toward relatively minor ideas like choosing a slogan for a safety campaign.

Question 5

Leadership at Canon Inc. has found that to create new products quickly, it is best for the production team to be physically distant from product developers.

Question 6

A person who has the experience of flow becomes preoccupied with the external consequences of performing a task.

Question 7

A recommendation for managing creative workers is to provide them with a minimum amount of structure.

Question 8

Seeing opportunities is an important part of entrepreneurial leadership.

Question 9

A leader who accumulates considerable knowledge will have difficulty being creative because such knowledge usually blocks original thinking.

Question 10

A potential negative side effect of placing a heavy emphasis on innovation is that the company collects many ideas of limited value.

Question 11

A recommended strategy for finding a creative idea is to try a large number of ideas.

Question 12

Fernando, the president of a consumer products division, wants staff members to enhance their creativity. It would therefore be a good idea for Fernando to place creative ideas through a complicated, time-consuming review process.

Question 13

Part of the artist role in becoming more creative is to stretch one's imagination.

Question 14

Research based on the LMX theory indicates that favorable exchanges between managers and creative workers are associated with low creativity.

Question 15

A creative person within an organization is typically a conformist.

Question 16

Distaste for the task is associated with high creativity because the worker works rapidly to find a solution to the distasteful problem.

Question 17

A finding about the insight step of creative thinking is that the flash of insight:

A) occurs when a person is mentally exhausted.
B) occurs when a person has almost given up on the problem.
C) is usually an almost totally new idea.
D) arrives after hours of thought and study.

Question 18

During the insight step of creative thinking, a person:

A) gathers supporting evidence for the problem solution.
B) suddenly obtains the problem-conquering solution.
C) dreams up a problem to work on.
D) becomes totally absorbed in the problem.

Question 19

The problem-conquering solution flashes into the person's mind at an unexpected time in the insight step of the creative process.

Question 20

A creative idea is considered to be innovative when the idea:

A) receives a patent.
B) is put into action.
C) is novel.
D) earns a profit.

Question 21

A method of managing creative workers is to _____.

A) emphasize autocratic leadership
B) have a high degree of structure
C) give them flexibility
D) discourage risk taking

Question 22

A study of leader-member exchanges and creativity among research and development specialists indicated that leader-member exchanges were:

A) positively associated with creativity only for inexperienced specialists.
B) negatively associated with creativity.
C) positively associated with creativity.
D) unrelated to ratings of creativity.

Question 23

A business example of thinking outside the box is:

A) people of all ages might respond to advertising.
B) sidewalks can be made out of rubber rather than cement.
C) the market potential for human health insurance is very high.
D) car-wash customers might also want the car to be waxed.

Question 24

When coming up with a creative idea,

A) it is best to apply the first idea that comes to mind.
B) the best idea usually arrives at the end of the work day.
C) it is better to borrow an idea than attempt an original one.
D) a person needs to try a large number of ideas.

Question 25

Middle manager Bob establishes idea quotas for his organizational unit, meaning that workers will be asked to:

A) bring one fresh idea to each meeting.
B) steal ideas from other organizational units.
C) invest a certain percent of their time to creative thinking.
D) brainstorm for ten minutes at the start of each staff meeting.

Question 26

An intellectual characteristic of creative people is that they:

A) are extraordinarily brilliant.
B) maintain a curiosity for information only their field of expertise.
C) tune out the feelings of other people.
D) maintain a youthful curiosity throughout their lives.

Question 27

The lawyer's role in "Be an explorer, artist, judge, and lawyer" is to:

A) find a client to pay for an idea.
B) quickly copyright or patent an idea.
C) critically evaluate ideas.
D) find ways to implement ideas.

Question 28

Financial manager Josie needs a creative idea. She might try jogging because:

A) exercise promotes convergent thinking that is important for creativity.
B) physical exercise is known to block out traditional thinking.
C) physical exercise pumps more blood and oxygen into the brain.
D) fatigue is good for creative thinking.

Question 29

A particularly robust strategy for enhancing creativity in an organization is to:

A) promote convergent thinking among employees .
B) provide limited flexibility for generating ideas.
C) discourage risk taking.
D) hire people who are already creative.

Question 30

A worker has the experience of flow when he or she:

A) has a rapid succession of ideas.
B) rapidly corrects personal mistakes.
C) piggybacks on the ideas of others.
D) is totally absorbed in the task at hand.

Question 31

A cognitive characteristic of creative people is that they _____.

A) are left-brain dominant.
B) are able to think divergently
C) do not have the ability to narrow the number of alternatives.
D) do not extend their curiosity beyond their field of interest.

Question 32

In the context of innovation, Procter and Gamble is noted for:

A) training managers in thinking about product design.
B) centralizing idea generation in a corporate laboratory.
C) relying on focus groups for new product ideas.
D) hiring CEOs capable of dreaming about new product ideas.

Question 33

To become more creative, it is important to:

A) overcome traditional thinking.
B) develop more traditional thinking.
C) redefine traditional thinking..
D) postpone traditional thinking until the final stages of problem solving.

Question 34

A common thread to creativity-enhancing exercises is that they require:

A) people to solve a puzzle.
B) convergent thinking.
C) variations of brainstorming.
D) flexible thinking.

Question 35

A dominant characteristic of creative workers is a passion for:

A) their work.
B) the rewards associated with creative work.
C) working in teams.
D) working in a large bureaucracy.

Question 36

You and the other members of your business unit are participating in the pet-peeve technique.Therefore, you would:

A) list all the complaints you have about your leader.
B) think up complaints that others might have about your unit.
C) think up all the things you do not like about your unit.
D) develop new ideas for products that consumers might want.

Question 37

Which one of the following would not be considered a managerial practice that enhances creativity?

A) Prescribing the best method for arriving at a creative solution
B) Giving workers assignments that stretch their intellectual capability
C) Supplying groups with the time and money they need to accomplish the task
D) Designing work groups with a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives

Question 38

A recommended starting point in establishing a climate for creative thinking in an organization is to:

A) promote convergent thinking among employees .
B) establish a vision and mission that includes creativity.
C) have a highly structured organizational setup.
D) discourage risk taking.

Question 39

Research suggests workers are more likely to have a breakthrough idea when they are:

A) happy the day before.
B) day dreaming about the future.
C) multitasking with several electronic devices.
D) depressed about an event in personal life.

Question 40

Brainstorming is often condemned as being _____.

A) biased
B) superficial
C) unproductive
D) time consuming

Question 41

Edward is a manager in a company that encourages creativity among its employees. An organizational environment suitable for creative thinking is established by the top management. Edward is in charge of one of the teams focusing on product innovation. How can Edward manage the team members effectively without hampering their creativity?

Question 42

Which of the following examples shows the cognitive abilities of a creative person?

A) Martin is able to think of several alternatives for a problem.
B) Elisa focuses on a single solution for a given problem.
C) Evan does not feel the need to get an approval from his colleagues for his ideas.
D) Rachael is confident about her ideas and is open to criticism from her colleagues.

Question 43

Marsha is the owner of a popular apparel store. She plans to increase the choices available to customers. She thinks about what additions should be made to the current collection of clothes available in the store. During her evening walk, Marsha suddenly realizes that she should conduct a survey to find out what customers desire. Which of the following is most likely to be Marsha's next step in the context of the creative process?

A) Verification
B) Incubation
C) Immersion
D) Opportunity recognition

Question 44

Milton, a manager, is forced to turn down an idea for a new product from Steven, one of his most creative team members because of financial limitations. In order to prevent Steven from feeling discouraged, Milton should _____.

A) give gentle feedback to Steven when turning down the idea
B) recommend convergent thinking to improve Steven's creativity
C) suggest that frequently used approaches to problems should be used
D) encourage him to work toward a single solution for problems

Question 45

Christian takes over as the managing director of a company producing automotive components. He observes that all the employees look at standard ways of solving problems and developing new products. Creativity is extremely limited. Christian plans to promote creative thinking among the employees of the company. What are the methods that can be used by Christian to enhance creativity in the organization?

Question 46

Canon Inc. has found that a key to creating new products is for:

A) the distinction between production and development to be eliminated.
B) production groups to report to the product development group.
C) the production team to work physically close to product developers.
D) the production team to be physically far removed from product developers.

Question 47

Loose-tight leadership in relation to creativity refers to:

A) alternating between encouragement and punishment.
B) granting space for exploring creative ideas, yet finally choosing one idea.
C) alternating between laissez-faire leadership and autocratic leadership.
D) spending freely on some projects and cutting costs on others.

Question 48

Daphne, a manager, provides her team members the freedom to generate new ideas for products. At the same time, she also ensures that an idea is chosen among the alternatives. Which of the following practices for enhancing creativity is shown in the given example?

A) Pet-peeve technique
B) Experience of flow
C) Loose-tight leadership
D) Autocratic leadership

Question 49

Anthony works in the design team of a publishing company. He is not particular about obtaining approval from his team members for his creative design ideas. Hence, it can be observed from the given scenario that _____.

A) creative people focus on consensus
B) creative people are generally nonconformists
C) creative people focus on convergent thinking
D) creative people are often frustrated

Question 50

Which of the following examples illustrates practices that enhance creativity?

A) AB Inc. has a rigid organizational structure that inlcudes layers of approval, fixed office timings, and a large amount of paperwork for new projects.
B) Nicholas and his colleagues think in a convergent manner to focus on a single and frequently used solution to problems.
C) Eric, a team manager, encourages his team members to choose the best possible method for reaching a particular target.
D) Tanya, a graphic designer for a popular magazine, looks to gain approval from her team mates for her innovative ideas rather than finding other alternatives.

Question 51

Of the following leadership practices, the least likely to enhance innovation is:

A) the pursuit of constant innovation.
B) to take risks and encourage risk taking.
C) to acquire innovative companies.
D) to encourage innovation for its own sake.

Question 52

Estelle plans to present the science project assigned to her in a creative manner. She concentrates on finding ways to present her project. She comes up with possible solutions without evaluating them. Which step of the creative process is illustrated in the given scenario?

A) Verification
B) Incubation
C) Immersion
D) Problem recognition

Question 53

Sarah is a popular jewelry designer. In order to cater to the varying needs of her clients and to sustain her competitive advantage in the market, Sarah needs to produce innovative designs by being creative. What steps can Sarah take to enhance her creative thinking abilities?

Question 54

Which of the following is a personality trait of a creative person?

A) Self-confident
B) Conformist
C) Able to think divergently
D) Highly intelligent

Question 55

Abraham, the manager of the development team in a software firm, is entrusted with the task of coming up with a creative idea for the company's next new product. Abraham consults people from other teams such as marketing, testing, and customer support for inputs and suggestions that could result in a unique and creative idea. In order to improve his creative thinking, Abraham is playing the role of a(n) _____.

A) lawyer
B) explorer
C) judge
D) artist

Question 56

Which of the following practices is least likely to be helpful in managing creative people?

A) Giving creative people considerable structure
B) Having creative people manage and evaluate creative workers
C) Providing ongoing recognition and appreciation to creative workers
D) Being liberal in giving workers the resources they need

Question 57

Multiunit organizations sometimes enhance creativity by:

A) sharing ideas across divisions.
B) preventing ideas from moving from one unit to another.
C) centralizing all new-product development decisions.
D) promoting convergent thinking.

Question 58

Glow Inc., a company producing personal care products, plans to launch new skin care products for middle-aged men and women. The company is looking at unique and innovative products. The top management decides to collect ideas from all the employees. In order to encourage its employees to think creatively, the company should _____.

A) establish idea quotas to generate new ideas
B) promote convergent thinking
C) ensure that the employees focus on a single solution
D) the emphasis is on the most frequent solution

Question 59

Age Inc., a company producing scientific instruments, has a dedicated team working on product innovations. This team is not involved in the company's regular activities. The team is provided with ample resources and has direct access to the company's senior management team. From the given scenario, it can be inferred that _____.

A) innaovation is continuously pursued
B) risk taking is discouraged
C) the company's departments are integrated
D) ideas are not shared among different teams