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Group Support Systems as Handmaidens of Innovation: The Removal of Barriers to Creative Idea Generation within Small Groups
Abstract
In today’s competitive business environment, managers are frequently called upon to generate creative ideas as solutions to business problems. Embracing creativity, many successful businesses are innovators, “produc[ing] ideas or products that have changed their industries” (“Fear of the Unknown,” 1999, p. 61). Although “creativity” and “innovation” are often used synonymously, scholars have distinguished these two terms. Virtually all definitions of creativity involve “a combination of originality and usefulness” (Bostrom and Nagasundaram, 1998, p. 2), whereas innovation refers to the process whereby new creative ideas are put into practice (Couger, Higgins, and McIntyre, 1990, 1993; Frame, 1989; Rickards, 1988). A major deterrent to creativity within organizational decision-making groups, as well as in focus groups, is social influence. Idea generation, brainstorming, decision making, problem solving, and other interactions in small groups frequently result in intimidation of some group members by others. In this context, intimidation refers to the instilling of fear that deters, interferes with, or otherwise inhibits the free expression of one’s ideas. Examples include social pressure resulting from status or other social influence and fear that one’s ideas will be devalued when evaluated by others. Intimidation hinders the equal participation of all group members, constraining the creativity of lower-status, junior, shy, or female members.
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