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ve behaviour. When individuals know that idea generation is important, they are more likely to show this behaviour (Shalley and Gilson, 2004).
For example, Shalley (1991) examined the effects of two types of goals (i.e. a creativity versus a productivity goal) on creative output. Once a creativity goal was assigned, individuals were primed to focus attention and effort on this objective and exhibited higher levels of idea generation. Other studies found that even when there is no explicitly formulated goal, individuals are more creative when they are informed that it is considered to be important. For instance, Speller and Schumacher (1975) found that individuals’ scores on creativity tests improved if they were told that they were taking a creativity test.
4.3 Stimulating knowledge diffusion
Several respondents in the front-runners group believed that stimulating the dissemination of information among subordinates enhances idea generation. They sometimes arranged informal meetings solely for the sake of knowledge diffusion, while the non-innovative respondents usually paid little attention to this. Sample quotes that underline this contradiction:
It’s always good when people are aware of how things are going. When you hear about someone’s problems in engineering work, you may come up with suggestions or ideas for solutions if you have faced a similar problem in the past. Versus:Of course it is a good thing to socialise during a coffee break. But it should not take too long.
There is also research that suggests a link between knowledge dissemination and idea generation. In a recent literature review on leadership and creativity, Mumford et al. (2002) propose that part of the idea-generating ability of employees depends on their awareness of the needs, trends, and problems within their professional and business environment. This sort of knowledge provides the individual with a source for new ideas. In line with this, in a study of 19 innovative banking projects, Harborne and Johne (2003) found that leaders of successful projects were able to change the nature of relationships between employees through informal communication. Anomalies or things that do not fit expected patterns often serve as the basis for new ideas. Such discrepancies are best captured when information is widely available.
4.4 Providing vision
Interviewees in the front-runner’s group tried to anchor the innovative activities in their firms by providing their employees with a sense of direction and overarching goals as well as some general guidelines. In contrast, our less innovative participants did not mention providing a vision to support innovative activities. The innovative respondents attempted to communicate their ambition and drive and wanted to provide their employees with a beacon for innovative efforts. Providing an overarching vision was believed to enhance both idea generation and application behaviour for various reasons. First, it provided a frame of reference that indicated what kind of ideas would be appreciated. One interviewee from the innovative subset told us: “We want to be a leading firm in language technology. Of course, ideas that fit within our mission have a better chance of being implemented.”
Second, if a promising idea fits within a vision familiar to and shared by employees, convincing them of its value and guiding its implementation was believed to be much easier. This is illustrated by the statement of one of t