2. CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
2.1. CLASSIFICATION OF CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
2.2. CRITERIA FOR THE CLASSIFICATION
The creative techniques have been classified in the clusters A-B-C-D according
to the following criteria:
- Technique’s structuring degree: level of detail and articulation
of the operative phases characterizing the technique. The more structured
is the technique, the more suited it is to be used effectively;
- Difficulty of application: level of “resources”
required (time, persons, information, etc). Techniques requiring a limited
use of “resources” are preferable than those requiring a lot
of them. Particularly in the present economic context, companies must try
to exploit effectively the available resources: this is the reason why it
is preferable to use easy-to-apply techniques.
- Level of analysis: ability of a technique to explore in detail
the greatest number of possible alternatives, such as the number of generated
ideas, the number of different viewpoints taken into account during the
idea evaluation phase, etc. Generally, the technique is preferable when
the level of analysis is higher. However, it should be considered also that
too analytic techniques require an higher deployment of time and resources.
- Team cohesiveness degree required: level of cohesion necessary
to allow the team to work in an effective way. The lowest the cohesion degree
required to the group, the higher is the preference for the technique, since
it would be usable by all kinds of groups, also those initially not so cohesive.
- Time required to train the team: quantity of time necessary
to make the team familiar with the technique. If the required time for the
teaching of the technique is little, this technique is preferable than those
requiring a lot of time to be assimilated.
- Transversality of application: possibility to apply the technique
to one or more organizational processes (product development, process control,
quality management, etc.). If the technique is suited to be applied in several
processes, it is preferable than others.
- Availability of information: quantity of information available
in Literature. A good quantity of information available about the technique
is an important factor, allowing to use the technique in the most proper
way.
Among the above mentioned criteria, the ones having the highest “weight”
for the classification purpose are the following three:
Availability of information: to have at disposal a good quantity
of information about a technique, and possibly also some examples, results
in a highest probability to use it in an effective way. Potentially, many
techniques are very useful tools, but often the lack of information available
about them reduces strongly their effectiveness in supporting people to apply
them properly.
Technique’s structuring degree: a well structured technique
is easy to be used and allows to organize the work opportunely, allocating
in the best way the time and resources available.
Difficulty of application: firm’s resources to be allocated
to “creativity” are not so many. For this reason it is important
to exploit resources appropriately, preferring easy-to-apply techniques.
According to these seven criteria, the techniques have been classified in the
following four classes:
Class A techniques: these are the techniques considered
to be the most suited to support the company in its attempt to enhance creativity.
In particular, the Class A techniques are those characterized by:
- High availability of information
- Good structuring degree
- Easiness of application
Class B techniques: even thought these techniques
can be potentially useful for the companies, they lack in reference to some
of the considered criteria. In general, they are characterized by a good availability
of bibliographical references, but they show several objective problems, such
as:
- Indefinite or too complex structuring degree
- Difficulty of application
- Effectiveness only in case the team is already expert
- Etc.
Class C techniques: these are the techniques felt
to be hardly applicable with success in a business context. This techniques
are really “weak” in reference to the major part of the considered
criteria (lack of bibliographical references, difficulty of application, scarce
adaptability to business processes, etc).
Class D techniques: these are the techniques without
bibliographical references.
