This research confirms that organisational creativity is of growing interest to leaders due to an an anticipated move into the information age, and the growth of the new economy. For some leaders it also represents a new post-cost-cutting strategy to ensure organisational growth and sustainability. The research used a grounded theory approach and consisted of in-depth interviews with leaders from both the profit and non-profit sectors and included 3 case studies -- the Four Corners unit at the ABC, the advertising industry and 3M. The research also includes two comparison studies, between a range of profit and non-profit organisations, most of which are renowned for creativity. The core question attempted to be answered was how can organisations become more creative. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Amabile (1983a) presented the most prominent theory currently used for studying individual creativity in organizations, the componential model, over 25 years ago. This model moved the study of creativity away from an individual differences-based paradigm to one taking into account the situation. The centerpiece of this model, the intrinsic motivation principle, suggests that situational factors influence individual creativity via an individual's intrinsic motivation (Amabile, 1996: 115). My review identifies anomalies in current research using Amabile's model that I use for new theory development. I then test that theory in a laboratory study. New theory I developed and tested explores factors that affect individual creative performance at work. This theory focuses on the effects environmental variables, dispositional traits, and psychological mediators have on creative performance. The trait of achievement motivation is used to directly predict creative performance and also how individuals differentially react to environmental factors. The psychological mediator utilized here is regulatory focus, which is a concept related to the ways individuals frame and engage situations. I describe and test how the facets of regulatory focus (promotion and prevention) account for the ways that environmental factors, achievement motivation, and the interaction of environmental factors and achievement motivation affect creative performance of adults in work-like environments (e.g. behavioral laboratory with adults). Results from this study were significant. First, achievement motivation significantly predicted creative performance. Second, there were no significant effects for regulatory focus, although this was mostly likely a result of limited scale development. Third, achievement motivation interacted with the experimental manipulations (expectations of controlling or informational expected evaluations), as the environmental variable, to predict creativity. This suggests theories of creativity that do not consider personality (c.f. Amabile, 1983a, 1983b, 1996) leave out a potentially important and significant portion of what leads to differences in individual creative performance. Finally, many variables reported to predict creative performance in the literature were used as control variables. In no model tested did any of these control variables reach significance or moderate the effects of achievement motivation, as it was measured in this study, on creative performance. These results suggest the finding here for achievement motivation is robust.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Economics, June 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

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The dissertation explores and explains the design and development of the researcher's Real Value© methodology, through participative action research. The action research (participative exploratory research) was undertaken in the form of professional pilot projects as real world commercial research, for the formulation and emergence of the value-based business development leadership metrics system: The Real Value© Methodology. The outcomes of the action research are captured in select strategic knowledge reports (i.e. client pilot project research reports) which demonstrate the emergence of the Real Value© methodology, in the client and commercial context, through the entire action research process. The clients were contracted on a professional basis and the fees generated from the commercial projects were utilised to fund the resources required to do the knowledge investigations of the client organisations. The methodology was intended as a strategic management system, and subsequently developed, through the action research and pilot projects, into a value-based business development leadership metrics system. The Real Value© methodology aims to create, develop and measure the real value of intangible assets (vs. physical assets) in a continuous and discontinuous process of business development: value that is created and sustained through the highest and best application and utilisation of intangible assets in the knowledge (and industrial) economic context. (Intangible assets herein classified as brand, intellectual property, technology, and human and customer capital). The participative action research was originally inspired by the first Module of the MSc programme 'Managing Complexity' facilitated by Professor Steen Martiny (Copenhagen Business School) during the comparative exercise on 'Extraordinary and Ordinary Management', and specifically during the reading of the first precept of Stacey's (2000) 'Extraordinary Management Theory': "Detect and attract attention to important external and internal issues, ordinarily not noticed." The above precept captures the essence and intrinsic motivation of the researcher for undertaking and performing the participative action research of the dissertation. The dissertation explains the real world professional pilot projects and participative exploratory action research that was undertaken by the researcher in the design and development of the Real Value© methodology. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-Unversity of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Thesis (M.C.M.) -- Lincoln University, 2007. / Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 365-395.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong Baptist University, 2008. / Adviser: Alicia S.M. Leung. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: O. L. Davis, Jr. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Central to this study is the transfer of knowledge in organisations. The aim of this study is to ascertain how the concept of Knowledge Transfer (KT) is represented thematically in the three journals MIS Quarterly, Organization Science, and Management Science. It reviews the growth and development of KT in the context of organisational management and determines the historical and emerging themes and trends thereof. The study focuses on articles that listed any of the following concepts: ‘knowledge transfer’, ‘knowledge sharing’ and ‘knowledge flow’ either in the abstract, as a keyword, or in the title of the paper. A total of 146 articles were identified and analysed through the use of bibliometric and content analysis research methods. The results show that there has been a gradual increase of articles addressing KT related issues in organisations. The historical themes identified include contextual factors, mechanisms, geographic factors, business context, areas of study, agents, flow of knowledge and different knowledge types. From the historical themes, knowledge transfer is a growing literature with many different theories and models, contexts and goals, practices and measures. It is an active process and not a simple act of imitating an example of good practice from one organisation to another. Practices need to be modified to fit new contexts and cultures and authors find that the very process of transferring knowledge, if not implemented properly, has a severe impact on organisational efforts aimed at knowledge management. The emerging trends include organisational performance, organisational learning, organisational change, innovation and change and knowledge networks. From the emerging trends, the clear result is that knowledge transfer is conducted by organisations in order for them to maximise profits and work efficiently. It is in the emerging themes that authors are questioning the popular view of knowledge transfer as a mechanical process. Emerging themes reveal that knowledge transfer is a complex process, involving many different players and factors that must be addressed before a successful transfer can occur. These include, motivating the employees, creating an enabling environment in terms of organisational culture and structure. The study concludes that knowledge transfer as a notion of management in organisations must be re-examined in order to clarify it and establish the relationship it has with other managerial concepts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sentraal tot hierdie studie is die voorstelling van kennisoordrag in die literatuur. Die doelwit is om te bepaal hoe die begrip “kennisoordrag” in drie tydskrifte naamlik MIS Quarterly; Organization Science en Management Science begryp word. Die studie bied ‘n oorsig van die groei en ontwikkeling van die begrip binne die konteks van organisatoriese bestuur en identifiseer die historiese en opkomende temas en tendense daarvan. Die studie fokus op artikels met die terme ‘kennisoordrag’, ‘deel van kennis’ of ‘kennisvloei’ in die opsommings óf titels van artikels. ‘n Totaal van 146 artikels is geïdentifiseer en ontleed met behulp van bibliometriese- en inhoudsanalitiese navorsingsmetodes. Die resultate van die studie toon ‘n geleidelike toename in artikels rakende kwessies rondom kennisoordrag in organisasies. Die historiese temas wat geïdentifiseer is, sluit in kontekstuele faktore, meganismes, geografiese faktore, organisatoriese konteks, studie areas, agente, kennisvloei en verskillende tipes kennis. Volgens die historiese temas is kennisoordrag ‘n groeiende literatuur met talle teorieë en modelle, kontekste en doelwitte, praktyke en maatstawwe. Dit is ‘n aktiewe proses en nie bloot die nabootsing van goeie praktyke tussen organisasies nie. Praktyke moet verander word om nuwe kontekste en kulture te pas. Outeurs het verder gevind dat die proses van kennisoordrag ‘n ernstige impak op organisasies se kennisbestuur pogings het. Die opkomende tendense sluit in organisatoriese prestasie, organisatoriese leer, organisatoriese verandering, innovasie en verandering en kennis-netwerke. ‘n Ontleding van opkomende tendense toon dat kennisoordrag in organisasies plaasvind met die oog op ‘n toename in wins en doeltreffendheid. Outeurs bevraagteken die gewilde siening dat kennisoordrag ‘n meganiese proses is. Die opkomende temas toon dat kennisoordrag ‘n komplekse proses is wat verskillende faktore behels wat aandag moet geniet voordat suksesvolle oordrag kan plaasvind. Hierdie faktore sluit in die motivering van werknemers en die skep van 'n gunstige omgewing met betrekking tot organisatoriese kultuur en struktuur. Die studie sluit af met die oogpunt dat kennisoordrag as ‘n inisiatief van ‘n organisasie se bestuur herevalueer moet word in ‘n poging om dit verder te verduidelik en die verhouding daarvan met ander bestuurskonsepte te bepaal.