Innovation, Creativity & Change

MS&E 175
Winter 2016

3-4 units

TTh

12:00-1:15pm

Thornton
110

Prof. Riitta Katila

CAs: Jiang Bian and Robert Bremner
Website: Canvas

Course Overview
This course is about creativity and innovation. We look at creative individuals and teams in
organizations, and the challenge of building an innovative organization. The purpose of this course is to
increase your ability to understand and implement creativity and innovation as a member of a team and
an organization, and to help you come up with ideas that create new innovative organizations. We will
also discuss how firms use innovation and creativity to adapt to, and create change.

Course Goals
The overall objectives of the course are to:
- Learn frameworks and tools to improve individual, team, and organizational creativity.
- Analyze and solve problems that arise in organizations that work on innovative projects.
- Practice creative decision-making through field projects, case analyses, team projects,
and in-class exercises.

Cases and Readings

(1) Course reader is available at CopyAmerica and in class. R
(2) Text: Csikszentmihalyi, M. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
HarperCollins (paperback version).T

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Overview of Course Requirements

1. Classroom. Although a variety of pedagogical methods will be used (e.g., lectures, in-class exercises, inclass visitors, field trips, and student presentations), classroom time will revolve primarily around discussion of
the assigned readings and cases. As in all such discussion-oriented classes, class attendance and participation
are not only desired, but required. Specific questions for class sessions are listed in the syllabus.
Prior to class, you should thoroughly read and prepare the days readings, including answers to the study
questions. Please ensure that you have used the frameworks, tools, and ideas from the readings and our class
sessions in your analysis as appropriate. Some cases will have a question or two for which you have to make a
specific decision recommendation. Your recommendation should be realistic and supported by analysis.
Study groups are strongly encouraged. The primary point of the study groups is to enable you to develop your
ideas and communicate them to the group. Think of it as the practice time prior to class. Effective study groups
arrive at their meeting with their analysis of the readings complete and their views on the study questions
formed. There is no need to reach a group consensus. Rather, discuss, explore and debate the ideas. Effective
groups keep these sessions short no more than one hour, and often as the quarter goes on, less and have a
regular time and place to meet. These groups also often come to view themselves as a team and support one
another. Study groups can be rewarding and fun. In addition to preparing together for the classroom discussion,
your study group will also work on a project on a creative company (details below).
As in any discussion-oriented class, it is crucial that you are well-prepared, listen carefully to others, and build
on/critique previous comments. Come prepared to challenge assumptions, ask questions, and demonstrate
intellectual curiosity. Clearly, you must participate in class if you are going to share your ideas with others. It is
the quality of comments, however, not the quantity, that is germane.
Since so much of the learning occurs in the classroom, there are no unapproved absences. All absences require
a written explanation (email is fine) to be given to the teaching team prior to class. One miss is fine, but more
absences will result in downward adjustment of your grade. The reasoning behind this apparently very stringent
policy is that participating in the discussion and developing your creativity skills demand active participation
and attendance. Please speak with the teaching team if class participation is a significant concern for you.
2. Short Write-ups. During the quarter you will write eight write-ups: seven individual, and one completed in a
team. The write-ups will allow you to test and demonstrate your skills in different topics related to creativity
and innovation. The write-ups should be approximately two pages in length, and no more than three. Write-ups
are due at the beginning of class. Only hardcopies will be accepted.
3. Company Project. The third central component of the course is an approximately 10-12 page paper (plus
any exhibits), which is prepared by your group. This paper focuses on understanding creativity and innovation
within the context of a high-technology firm. Candidates include innovative companies, or business units of
larger firms such as Electronic Arts or Pixar. Please consider choosing a publicly-traded company because it is
often difficult to obtain information on privately-held ones. The intent of the paper is to enable you to work with
course concepts in the context of a specific company (or business unit) that is of particular interest to you. See
what you can learn about creativity and innovation by an in-depth analysis of the company of your choice. The
paper also provides a forum for you to work with others, and an opportunity to improve your writing, creativity
and speaking skills. The paper should reflect thoughtful and thorough analysis using course concepts,
secondary material, and interviews with 2-3 persons knowledgeable about the company. There is an in-class
presentation at the end of the quarter and you will also be asked to rate one anothers contributions to the
group. The paper is due during the final examination period. Give your team a creative name, slogan and logo.
Have fun!
4. ideaLog. During the quarter, keep with you at all times a notebook. This will be your idea log. This log
(notebook, flash drive, online blogyour choice!) will be used to document those erratic and powerful ideas
2

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that we so often lose track of. Great ideas typically come from everyday experiences. Choose a topic for your
ideaLog: you may choose to keep a running list of potential new business models or strategies, solutions to any
personal challenges or problems that are important for you this quarter, or of successes and failures in general
(insight often comes from two standard deviations away from the mean). Only note things that come to mind-dont force it. Write them down right away; do not be selective. Trust your intuition. Every few days, review
your ideas and prune. Connect the ideas to your reactions to class and what you are learning through the class,
and from others in the class. You will turn in your ideaLog to the teaching team at the end of the quarter.

Grading
Classroom
Short Write-ups
Company Project
ideaLog

25%
30%
25%
20%

General Guidelines for Assignments

All written work should be typed in 12 pt font, with 1 margins all around. Please put your name(s) on the first
cover page so that you will receive proper credit. As a rule, we do not accept late assignments, but understand
that emergencies do occur. Therefore, 10% of the maximum grade will be subtracted for each 24 hrs, or portion
thereof, that a given paper or assignment is late.

Course Schedule
I

INTRODUCTION & FOUNDATIONS

Class

Day

Topic

Jan 5

Course Overview

Class
Jan 7

Readings

Topic

Readings

Foundations

Creativity and Innovation in OrganizationsR

1. What is the difference between creativity and innovation?

2. What were the most creative and the least creative situations you have ever been in?
3. Looking ahead, develop your own list of the worlds most and least innovative firms for 2016 (pick top 3 in
each category). Why did you pick the firms that you did?

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II

THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL

ideaLog: Topic due by Jan 14

Class
Jan 12

Topic

Readings

Creative Process &

Tools

Setting the Stage (Ch. 1; pgs. 1-5, skim rest)T

The Work of Creativity (Ch. 4; pgs. 77-84, skim rest) T
The Flow of Creativity (Ch. 5; pgs. 107-113, skim rest) T
The Medici Effect (Introduction and the Intersection)R

1. According to Csikszentmihalyi, what is a creative process like? Where do you find the problems to start the
creative process? What is the flow?
2. According to Johansson, where do creative ideas come from?
3. Short write-up #1. Go to the Handouts/WriteUps section of the course website. Do at least three exercises.
What did you experience? A description is due in the beginning of class (max. 2 pages).

Class

Day

Topic

Readings

Creativity under the GunR

Creative Surroundings (Ch. 6; pgs. 139-147, skim rest) T
Enhancing Personal Creativity (Ch. 14) T
1. What is your creative place? What is your creative rhythm? According to Amabile et al., does time pressure
make you more creative?
2. Choose a different mode of transportation in the morning (if you normally bike, walk; if you drive, ride a
train or take a bus). What did you experience?
3. Short write-up #2. A description of a creative individual of your choice is due in the beginning of class
(max 3 pages). What makes the person creative? What does the person do to increase the chances of being
creative? Use course concepts as applicable.
Jan 14

Class
Jan 19

Creativity in Context:
Time & Place

Topic

Readings

Creative Individuals

Creativity, one or more chapters to finish your readingT

IdeaLog Checkpoint

Class
Jan 21

Topic

Readings

Cantor

Extended class

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III

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Class

Topic

Readings

Creative Conspiracy: Rules of Breakthrough CollaborationR

Why Innovation Happens when Happy People FightR
Constructing New Product Development TeamsR
1. As a general manager, what general principles would you follow in order to maximize your teams creativity
(how would you select the members for the team, how would you manage and handle conflict, etc.)?
1. Go to the following website and do the Myers Briggs type test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgiwin/jtypes1.htm and read the description of the analysis. Go to the WriteUps section of the course website
and do the de Bonos Six Hats analyses, and read the description of the analysis.
2. Short write-up #3. A write-up that describes The Seven Habits of Highly Creative Teams (max 2
pages) and a list of your Myers Briggs and de Bonos Six Hats profiles are due in the beginning of class.

Jan 26

Class
Jan 28

Team Creativity

Topic
8

Readings

The Lumen and Absorb Teams at Crutchfield Chemical

EngineeringR
1.
What is the organizational situation and challenge faced by Paul Burke? Why do the two teams differ
so dramatically? What should Burke do?
2.
Think about your own experiences of working in team situations: in what situations were you most and
least intrinsically motivated? (Re-read Creativity and innovation in organizations, class 2)
3.
Short write-up #4. A short analysis of the case, including answers to the study questions, is due in the
beginning of class (max 3 pages).

Class
Feb 2

Team Creativity

Topic

Readings

Team Lab

Instructions handed out on Jan 28

Extended class

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IV

THE CREATIVE ORGANIZATION

Company project: Company selection due by Feb 9

Class
Feb 4

Topic

Readings

10

Processes for
Breakthrough
Innovation

IDEO Product DevelopmentR

1. How would you characterize IDEOs innovation process, organization, culture, and management? Should
IDEO a. accept the Visor project as is (including aggressive launch schedule), b. ask Handspring for more
time, or, c. decline the project?
2. Short write-up #5. A short analysis of the case, including answers to the study questions, is due in the
beginning of class (max 3 pages).
Company project: Initial plan due by Feb 16
Class

Topic

Readings

Where to Look for InsightR

The Ambidextrous OrganizationR
Corporate New Ventures at Procter & GambleR
3. How would you improve the new ventures process at Procter & Gamble? Would Sawhneys and Khoslas
ideas about how to look for insight lead you to a different set of new venture actions than Procter &
Gamble has done?
4. Short write-up #6. A short analysis of the case, including answers to the study questions, is due in the
beginning of class (max 3 pages).
Feb 9

11

Class
Feb 11

12

Class
Feb 16

Topic

Readings

Disruptive Innovations
IdeaLog Checkpoint

Simulation Preparation
Disruptive Technologies: Catching the WaveR

Topic
13

Class
Feb 18

Structuring for
Innovation

14

Readings

Visitor

Topic

Readings

Company Simulation

Extended class

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Class
Feb 23

15

Topic

Readings

Company Simulation

Extended class

1. Short write-up #7. Simulation team write-up due before class (max 3 pages).
Class
Feb 25

Topic
16

Readings

Visitor

ideaLog due by Mar 3

Class

Topic

Readings

Shaping and Exploiting Blue Ocean StrategyR

Change
Cirque du SoleilR
1. What is a blue ocean strategy? What was Cirques original blue ocean strategy?
2. How has Cirque structured and supported its casts to deliver creative performances? What are the
challenges to Cirques continued growth?
2. Short write-up #8. A short analysis of the case, including answers to the study questions, is due in the
beginning of class (max 3 pages).
Mar 1

17

Class
Mar 3

Topic
18

Class
Mar 8

19

Class
Mar 10

20

Readings

Company Project
Preparation

Topic

Readings

Company Project
Presentations

Extended class

Topic

Readings

Company Project
Presentations

Extended class