Effects of idea source, goals, and climate on selecting and refining creative ideas

Abstract

Although the majority of creative ideas are passed on or fail during implementation, little research has examined the creative processes that unfold between idea generation and implementation. This study investigated how the source of ideas, as well as the goals and climate operating in the task environment, influence idea selection, refinement, and overall creativity. Undergraduates completed a complex marketing task that involved generating an initial list of ideas (or reviewing a list of peer ideas), critiquing these ideas, and then developing a final advertising campaign. Participants who reviewed an initial list of peer ideas included more new concepts in their final campaigns. However, participants who generated their own initial idea lists were more likely to refine these ideas. The most creative campaigns were produced by participants who generated their own initial idea lists while focused on originality goals in a collaborative climate. Implications for designing creative work environments are d...