IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Instructor: Marcene Sonneborn, Michael Morris,
Class meets Tuesdays, 7-9:45pm& Assorted Characters in Room 120 SOM
Phone (Sonneborn): 425-5144 EEE Office: 215 SOM
Office Address: TDO Office Hours: By appointment
1201 East Fayette Street
Syracuse , NY 13210
Email: mssonneb@syr.edu EEE Dept Phone: 443-6899
or msonneborn@tdo.org E-mail: mhmorris@syr.edu

•  Course Prerequisites
Junior standing or instructor permission.
 

•  Course Overview
This is a course about the courage to create, and to risk making mistakes in the quest for ideas that lead to a true innovation of a product, service or process. Creativity is the central focus, which might be defined as "the application of a person's mental ability and curiosity to discover something new.the act of relating previously unrelated things." More specifically, we are concerned with capitalist creativity, which means that solutions must be generated that are profitable and reflect bottom-line practicality. Students will experience what it means to fully engage their brains to discover the patterns that produce breakthrough ideas when attempting to solve business problems. Participants in this class will be exposed to a systematic approach to changing the way they create, identify and sell these ideas. They will also be introduced to a number of techniques, concepts and methods that can be added to their creative skills toolkit. The course is designed around real methods that have been proven to work in some of the leading corporations in the world. These methods are conveyed through both interactive and experiential learning approaches. Students will form teams for the purposes of developing creative solutions to problems and coming up with a "wickedly good" new product concept around which a venture can be based.   • 

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

•  Recognize their own innate creative potential and its role in an enhanced quality of life;
•  Appreciate the role of courage in coming up with and implementing new ideas and approaches in business problem-solving;
•  Generate a markedly higher number of innovative ideas when confronted with a task or problem;
•  Recognize the creative blocks when they are imposed by others, as well as when one is imposing the blocks on others;
•  Apply a variety of techniques for overcoming obstacles to creative problem-solving;
•  Appreciate the unique challenges & methods for accomplishing creative solutions in group contexts;
•  Assume different roles in successfully managing the creative process;
•  Sell creative solutions to others in an effective manner;
•  Develop a viable product or service concept around which a venture can be initiated, and that they can carry forward beyond the class

•  Role of the Course in Achieving the Learning Goals
Students in this course will be challenged to think critically, appreciate context, engage with other learners, and make thoughtful decisions while examining their consequences. In this course, students are expected to gain unique perspectives on how to combine imagination, intuition, reasoning ability and skills at evaluation in coming up with creative solutions to practical business problems. They will be expected to analyze issues and solve a range of complex problems as they apply to the student himself or herself and in a variety of different organizational contexts. Further, students will be encouraged to develop an appreciation for the different assumptions and perspectives employed by people attempting to solve problems creatively, depending on the individuals involved, the organizational context, the market environment, and other contextual variables. Students are also expected to contribute to the learning environment by engaging in intellectual discourse with the instructor and with other students.

This applies to each of the lectures, and especially to the creative problem-solving exercises students must complete. Students are not only expected to "be creative" in addressing individual and group assignments, but to critically assess and develop an appreciation for the dynamics involved when an individual or group attempts to "be creative". Finally, there is a strong sense of accountability built into the course in terms of the need for students to come up with decisions that are not only creative, but reflect a high quality level in terms of their creativity. In evaluating the creative solutions produced by students, emphasis will be placed on the extent to which the social, moral and ethical implications have been considered.
•  Required Texts and Materials

•  Cameron M. Ford and Dennis A. Gioia (1995), Creative Action in Organizations: Ivory Tower Visions & Real World Voices, Sage Publications.
•  Scott Thorpe, How to Think Like Einstein (2000), Naperville, Illinois, Sourcebooks, Inc.
•  Readings packet available at the Orange Bookstore.
•  Blank journal or notebook for recording of creative insights and assignments, and brainstorming on tasks and assignments for the course.  

•  Student Assessment/Evaluation
Examination (Week 8)* 20%
First Individual Project-Product Design(Task 1)** 10%
Semester Group Project (Task 2)*** 20%
Final Individual Project (Task 3)**** 10%
Assignments (in-class and out)***** 30%
(including journal)
Class Contribution/Participation 10%
Total 100%

*The midterm examination will primarily be an essay exam addressing the context of the first half of the course. However, as a course in creativity, I reserve the option of having parts of the exam be unconventional, though knowledge of the core concepts from the course and student creativity will be demonstrated in these sections of the examination.

The exam will be graded on content knowledge on the creativity process and objective determination of creative ability through practical problem solving skills. Sample study questions will be provided to students prior to the exam, but they are only samples; actual questions may be different.
**Students will design a new product from an existing object that is no longer useful for its originally intended purpose.
***Students will work in teams over the semester and come up with a creative concept for a new business in which they clearly demonstrate an overt benefit, a reason to believe and a dramatic difference. ****Students will complete a semester project in which they treat themselves as a product and develop a mission and creative brand for themselves. Final submissions will include written and audio-visual components. This assignment is referred to as "A Brand Called You."
***** Students are going to "create" multiple times during the semester. You will be given an assignment in seven of the fifteen weeks of the semester, a number of which will be presented in class, and some of which involve a written submission. Each assignment will involve a tangible business problem and the development of a creative solution. A journal will be maintained during the semester for individual insights, activities and as a place to record ideas generated for your assignments (in-class and out). Many of the assignments will be group exercises for which brainstorming should be recorded in your journal. 

•  Attendance Policy
Attendance is required for this and for all EEE courses. You are allowed two unexcused absences. If you miss more than two times for unexcused reasons, you will forfeit one letter grade (10%) in the course (This means that if you have a B+ in the entire course, that B+ becomes a C+). Note that an excused absence is one for which you have a doctor's excuse, or an excuse from your coach if you are on a sports team and there is a team event. The range of excuses that have been requested in the past and that I have denied as an "excused" absence include: a fraternity or sorority house meeting, a study session or an evening exam for another course (save your absences if this may be an issue), a group work session for an assignment for another course, not wanting to drive to campus when it is snowing and all courses are being held, or attendance at a sports event if you are not playing.

All of these are excuses I have often heard, and they do NOT qualify as excused absences for this course, but it is for such situations that you are permitted two unexcused absences. Please do your best to avoid putting me in the position of considering an excused absence request unless absolutely necessary.

•  Participation Policy 

You are expected to come to class prepared, and play an active role in the discussions and experiences that take place during class periods. This means reading all material and preparing all assignments in advance. You may be called upon to present your assignment in class, so be prepared for this. The issue is the creative quality of your contribution more than the quantity. However, quality may depend on the presence of sufficient content to communicate your idea or concept. Participation/contribution includes asking questions, answering questions, agreeing or disagreeing with points made by the instructors or your peers, insights provided regarding the assigned material, examples that you bring into class of issues we are discussing, and so forth.

•  Teaching/Learning Style
The course will involve extensive interaction between students and the instructors. The teaching style will mix theory and tested concepts with practical problem-solving. Students will be challenged to grasp a concept or idea, relate it to the individual or group creativity process, and then apply it to real-world problem-solving contexts. The course will start with a lecture the first Tuesday. Students/student teams will be given an assignment the previous week, and will be expected to submit/present it during the class on the following Tuesday. Some assignments are included in this syllabus, and others are TBA.

•  Writing Standards
In business, documents are intended to communicate with the reader, and to motivate the reader to respond in a desired way. They are not effective as tools of communication if your reader struggles to understand what you are trying to communicate, or if while reading, the reader asks, "Where is this section going and why is this here?" A well-written paper is also much easier to read and grade. For this course, quality of your completed writing does matter. Please pay attention to the following:

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation: When completing written assignments, please proof your work, and use your spell-check and grammar-check functions on your computer.
• I prefer that all formal text-based assignments are typed double-spaced using a common 12-point font such as Times New Roman. Note that journal entries, brainstorm documents and drafts for your own use will not be expected to meet the same criteria as formal assignments.
• For all papers longer than 3 pages, number the pages and use headings for each section.
• Brevity and clarity: In a final version of a paper, if you can say something in one sentence rather than two, and be very focused in your language, it is easier to read. It may be useful to prepare an outline before you start, including all the points you want to cover in the paper in an orderly progression.

• Thoroughness: The topic should be treated comprehensively. Ask yourself, "Have I covered all of the important facets of this topic?"
• Elaboration : You can go beyond the criteria for each project and paper, if each additional point adds substance to the document. However, do not use language as filler.
• Document everything that is from another source or is not an original idea of your own. 

•  Academic Integrity

All work in this course must be your own individual effort. When you have a team assignment, the submitted or presented work must be solely that of the team members. Violations of this rule will be considered academic dishonesty and will be referred to the Academic Disciplinary Committee.

The School of Management has adopted an Academic Integrity Policy emphasizing that honesty, integrity and respect for others are fundamental expectations in our School. Please note that plagiarism is also a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy. The Policy requires all students who take SOM courses to certify in writing that they have read, understand, and agree to comply with the Academic Integrity Policy. SOM students should already have completed a certification statement. All non-SOM students enrolled in this course, including SOM minors, are also required to complete a certification statement available in the Undergraduate Office or the MBA Office. Completed statements are kept on file. The complete text of the SOM's Academic Integrity Policy can be found on the web at http://sominfo.syr.edu/degree/ai_policy.html.

•  Course Structure and Reading Assignments 

(Please note that we will generally adhere to this schedule but may at times move at a slower or faster pace depending upon class circumstances, student questions, and comprehension, or to improve student creativity or understanding of creativity concepts and their application)

Week One A) Introduction to the semester - Finding the Courage to Create; What to

August 26 Expect from the Journey; Introducing the "Essential 3's" (Outline of expected events and activities); Review of Syllabus and Reading List; Description of Assignments and Activities to Assess Student Learning and Creativity; Guidelines for Journaling
B) Defining Creativity; Myths and Misconceptions about Creativity; the Evolution of Creativity; Types of Creativity; Creativity, Art and Spirituality
READINGS :

Ford and Gioia:

Essay 1: Conceptions of Creativity

Essay 2: Creativity is a Mystery

Essay 21: Why No One Really Wants Creativity

Essay 23: Ten Tips Toward Creativity in the Workplace

Essay 25: Creativity and the Aesthetics of Imperfection

Readings Packet: Miller, W.C., "You and Your Creativity"; Vyas, Niren M. "Promoting and Managing Creativity" ; Amabile, Teresa M., "How to Kill Creativity"

EXERCISE: Newspaper Towers

ASSIGNMENT #1: Creative narrative of 1 page in length describing an idea for a new product or service business that does not currently exist and around which a new venture might be started. Think creatively. (Use your journal to record your brainstorming and your thinking process leading to this idea.)
Week Two Theories of Creativity; Different Kinds of Intelligence; Left Brain and Right

September 2 Brain Issues; The Importance of Diversity of Thinking Styles; Assessing Your Creative Problem-solving Style with the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument

READINGS :

Ford and Gioia:

Essay 19: Creativity Training and Hemispheric Function

Essay 39: Membranes for Gas Separation: Case Study in Creativity

Essay 45: Creativity Through Self-Appraisal

Essay 49: Contrasts and Convergences in Creativity: Academic and Practitioner

Thorpe: Chapter 1: Einstein's Secret, Chapter 2: Thinking Like Einstein, Chapter 3: Everyday Einstein Thinking

Readings Packet : Peters, Tom, "The Brand Called You"; Leonard, Dorothy and

Susan Straus, "Putting Your Company's Whole Brain to Work"  

EXERCISE: Right-Brain/Left Brain Exercises; The Use of Flapdoodling/ Mindmapping as a Visual Thinking SystemASSIGNMENT #2: Bug Report (Minimum of 75 items).

Week Three Abandoning Assumptions and Looking at Problems Differently;

September 9 Creativity as a Creation of Value; The Use of Stimuli in Creativity I: An

Overview of Creativity Exercises: Habits that Support Your Inherent Creative Abilities; More on Mind Mapping;

Traditional Brainstorming: What It Is and What It Is NotREADINGS :

Ford and Gioia:

Essay 7: Discovering the Unknowable, Managing the Unmanageable

Essay 16: Training Creativity in the Corporation

Essay 26: The Changing Face of Creativity

Essay 47: Ideas Dancing in the Human Being

Thorpe : Chapter 3: The Right Problem, Chapter 4: No Bad Ideas

Readings Packet : Salter, Chuck, "Who Ever Said Comedy Had to Be Fun?" Fast Company , May 2003

EXERCISE: Brainstorming and Creativity Exercises - "Creative Problem Solving A Step at a Time"
TASK #1 explained (Due 10/21)ASSIGNMENT #3: "Looking at Problems Differently" (Part 1)

Identify two "Bugs" from your Bug Report:

-What is your solution to this problem?

A) Describe each problem and a potential solution from the perspective of 2 HBDI types that are not yours. Your first selection should be someone who scores in the quadrant diagonally across from yours (One page per problem)

B) Then describe each problem and a potential solution from the perspective of two of the following individuals (Approximately one page per problem for this also):

-Artist -Janitor

-Philosopher -College professor

-Physician -Entrepreneur

-Scientist -Traffic cop

-Mathematician -Einstein

Week Four Creative Abrasion; Convergence and Divergence; The Creative Process;

September 16 Roles You Must Play Over the Process; Creativity Blocks that Hinder the

Process; Creative Questions before Creative Answers 

READINGS :

Ford and Gioia:

Essay 10: Creativity and Social Networks

Essay 11: Role of Collaboration in Creativity

Essay 24: Creative Post-Processing - On Making Turbulence Valuable

Essay 40: Why Do You Have to Go "Off-Campus" to Get Creative?

Thorpe : Chapter 5: Breaking Patterns

Readings Packet : Hirschberg, Jerry, "Creative Abrasion"; Hirschberg, Jerry,

Chapter 4: "Creative Questions before Creative Answers"; Kao, John J., "The Art

and Discipline of Business Creativity" EXERCISE: Discussion, Student Presentations on Assignment #3,

"Looking at Problems Differently"

Week Five Guest Lecture by Dr. Jeffrey Stamp of the Eureka Ranch; The Use of

September 23 Stimulus in Creativity II 

READINGS :

Thorpe : Chapter 6: Planting Seeds, and Chapter 7: Breaking Rules
Reading Packet : Sutton, Robert I., "The Weird Rules of Creativity," HBR ,

Sept. 2001; Godsey, Kristin D., "Welcome to the Improv," Artist's Sketchbook , April 2003  

EXERCISE: Using creative techniques with Jeff Stamp
ASSIGNMENT #4 : Select a problem from your Bug Report, keeping in mind factors that are important when applying creativity in an entrepreneurial situation (Laws of Marketing Physics). Identify a new venture that might be successful to address this problem.
TASK #2 explained (Due 11/25)
Week Six Understanding Opportunity ; Methods of Opportunity Discovery; Sources of

September 30 Opportunity ; Types of Opportunity ; Spotting Patterns and Trends;

Windows of Opportunity ; Evaluating an Opportunity

READINGS :

Ford and Gioia :

Essay 5: Creativity and Entrepreneurship

Essay 6: Creative Values and Creative Visions in Teams at Work

Essay 8: Individual Creativity and Organizational Innovation

Essay 51: Guidelines for Creative Action Taking in Organizations

Essay 36: Are you Creating Solutions or Problems?

EXERCISE: Using Improvisation; Play Doh Creativity

ASSIGNMENT #5: Create concepts for new candy products. What are some

potential sources of opportunity and what methods would you use to discover what opportunity exists?  

TASK #3 explained (Due 12/2)
Midterm Review

Week Seven Be Careful of What you Assume: An Evening with Red Dog Martin

October 7
READINGS :

Ford and Gioia :

Essay 28: Coaching Your Way to Creativity

Essay 29: Creating a Creativity Revolution

Thorpe : Chapter 8: Growing a Solution, Chapter 9: Avoiding Martyrdom
EXERCISE: Creative Inspiration with Red Dog Martin

Week Eight MIDTERM EXAMINATION

October 14  

Week Nine Evaluating Your Creativity; How do You Know a Good Idea when You

October 21 Create One? The Three Laws of Marketing Physics; READINGS :

Ford and Gioia:

Essay 12: How Organizations Channel Creativity

Essay 13: Promoting Creativity in Organizations

Essay 14: The Many Faces of Creativity

Essay 48: Gee Whiz! - So What?

Reading Packet: Davenport , Thomas H., L. Prusak and J. Wilson, "Who's Bringing You Hot Ideas and How Are You Responding?" HBR, Feb. 2003

EXERCISE: Judging Class Creativity

DUE: PRODUCT DESIGN PROJECT (Task #1)

Week Ten A) Creativity in Different Contexts: An Unusual Panel Discussion; Non- October 28 business Perspectives on Creativity in Life and in Professional Pursuits

•  Making a Pitch; Selling Your Creative Ideas to Others; All About the

Concept Form for Presenting New Ideas;

READINGS :

Ford and Gioia :

Essay 33: Creativity in Government

Essay 34: The Challenge of Reinventing State Government

Essay 41: The Pro-Team - Solving the Dilemma of Organized Creativity in Production

Essay 43: Creativity at Woolworth Corporation

EXERCISE: "Perspectives on Taking a Different Path" - Student presentations on what has been done over the semester to date to expose them to new ideas and new sights, sounds, smells, feelings and tastes.

ASSIGNMENT #6: Refer back to your creative narrative on a business concept

that you submitted for Assignment #1. Revise it as necessary using what you

have learned in this course to this point. (Don't forget to record the process you