Management theories

I read Stephen Downes’ posts because of his connections with education, but it was another interest entirely that led me to the post he referred to recently. I have always been fascinated with innovation and creativity, expecially when it came to the theory that one was either a creative thinker, or one could be taught to become one. And I have presented sessions on creative thinking techniques. But one of the techniques I include is that it is always possible to use ideas form other organisations or individuals – that taking ideas from one meilleu to an entirely different one, is creativity in itself. Now Stephen Downes has pointed to this blog post which reinforces that concept of innovation. It also looks at the concpet of the creative work group – that one person cannot do all the innovative thinking on their own, and that a group will produce far more creativity. The author introduces the concept called “Structural Holes.” The theory is that often the creativity occurs outside a particular workgroup, by individuals crossing the Structurel Holes between disparate work groups. Part Two of the Blog continues. I find it a very plausible and fascinating theory.