cover image Creativity Inc: Building an Inventive Organization

Creativity Inc: Building an Inventive Organization

Jeff Mauzy, Kay A. Arthur, Richard Harriman. Harvard Business School Press, $29.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-1-57851-207-2

Many business authorities have touted creativity and habitual renewal as integral to corporate longevity and viability, but few have the practical experience and insight of Mauzy and Harriman, who have spent 25 years consulting, with a focus on corporate creativity. Although creativity often cuts across the grain of old-fashioned corporate values, it is essential to success, even survival, particularly in a time when""tomorrow, with all its surprises, comes more relentlessly and more quickly than ever before."" And the authors aren't just talking about targeted, sporadic creativity (e.g., breakthrough products and Super Bowl ads). They contend that organizations need to""nurture and apply creativity throughout their operations"" and""be creative at all times, in all areas, in all activities"" in order achieve""systematic creativity,"" a state in which creativity becomes everyone's responsibility. Not surprisingly, Mauzy and Harriman proclaim there's no one set formula for maximizing creativity, but they do identify (and explore)""four critical dynamics"" that contribute to personal and organizational creativity. With real-life examples, specific suggestions and well-reasoned advice, this book should help any forward-thinking organization that wants to get ahead.