Failures of reward-driven behaviour in industry: a case of systems, management and creativity

Creativity is a much needed quality in today’s business and therefore an important research area. Whilst implementing and evaluating computer support for electronic brainstorming, it was noticed that the sheer presence of technology does neither guarantee usage nor success. Factors such as organisational culture and attitudes seem to have an equally important role, and this observation called for a more focused analysis of the motivational aspects of creativity management. Based on the empirical data from the electronic brainstorming system evaluation and literature on the social psychology of creativity, five pieces of managerial advice to promote corporate creativity are presented: reconsider extrinsic rewards; recognise creative initiatives; encourage entrepreneurship; allow redundancy, and; support interest-driven activities.