Module Directory

This compulsory module is designed to encourage students to experience, think and reflect upon the nature of creativity and innovation within organisations. The concept of change is intimately linked to that of innovation.

Whenever there is innovation, it affects organisations and generates changes. Thus, the module encourages students to consider many aspects related to the interrelated areas of creativity and innovation and, in particular, provides students with an advanced understanding of change in organisations where creativity and innovation emerge as a key challenge or represent a necessity.

Throughout the module, students have the opportunity to explore the main theoretical approaches and practices related to collective creativity, innovation management and management of innovation projects. Most relevant theories are explored and used as interpretative lenses to deepen their understanding of cases of changes and transformations focused on creativity and innovation. Furthermore, this theoretical background supports the development of experiences and exercises that, altogether, constitute a group-based 'laboratory' of creativity and innovation.

The aims of this module are:

• To understand and appreciate a range of theories on different types of change and organisational learning.


• To understand and appreciate a range of theories on creativity, collective creativity and innovation.


• To enable students to critically evaluate the impact of these theories in terms of organisational change and development.


• To identify key factors that influence creative processes within teams and organisations.


• To enable students to critically evaluate most common practices and methods of innovation management and project management.

By the end of this module students will be expected to be able to:

1. Understand various type of change and organisational learning.


2. Understand a wide range of theories and perspectives on creativity, collective creativity and innovation.


3. Evaluate the impact of creativity and innovation on organisational change and development.


4. Identify and analyse in-depth the key factors the influence creative processes.


5. Understand and discuss various practices and techniques of management of new projects.


6. Critically reflect on the key debates on change, creativity and innovation.

Indicative Syllabus Content

• Introduction on Change, Creativity and Innovation: The first session will introduce the module programme and the interrelated concepts of change, creativity and innovation. We will have an overview of these areas and discussing why creativity and innovation are vital for any organisation.


• Organisational Learning: Developing new organisational capabilities: In this second session, we will analyse creativity and innovation from an organisational learning perspective. In particular, we will discuss different types of organisational learning mechanisms and understand how a tapestry of purposefully designed mechanisms can promote the development of creativity as a new organisational capability.


• Incremental and Radical Changes: (Two sessions) We will compare and contrast incremental and radical changes and how they have a different impact on developing creativity and innovation. We will review the main theories along with key methodologies. We will continue to discuss key methodologies related to incremental and radical change exploring case studies and developing activities and exercises.


• Creativity in Organisations: From individual to collective and organisational creativity: (Two sessions) We will focus on creativity in organisations. We will explore all different levels of analysis related to creativity, starting with individual creativity and continuing with team creativity and organisational creativity. This session will focus more specifically on key team-based creative techniques and discuss the managerial implications of promoting collective creativity in organisations.


• Innovation and Innovation Management: (Two sessions) We will view innovation as the introduction of anything new in the market or in the environment in which an organisation operates. We will consider different models of innovation, approaches to organising for innovation and managerial practices. We will continue to discuss the challenges of innovation and innovation management developing group work based on the notion of design-driven innovation.


• Managing Innovation Projects: A Project Management perspective: (Two sessions) We will consider how innovation projects are organised. We will discuss key issues related to uncertainty, constraints, opportunities, flexibility. We will also discuss organising a project and its phases. We will continue to undertake a Project Management perspective and, in particular, focus on planning and controlling a project. Specific exercises will help understand in detail the challenges of planning a project schedule. Then, we will conclude recapping the key themes from the module and building a comprehensive view on all topics discussed

This module will be delivered via:

• Fortnightly sessions, combining a formal lecture with in-depth group discussions and activities.

The module will be taught fortnightly (each couple of sessions will be on interrelated topics and thus back-to-back).

In particular, we will utilise multi-media resources and interactive exercises. Group discussions will centre on the critical evaluation of a relevant case study, reflection on group work, role play, and other interactive formats. Students will also be asked to deliver reports and presentations.

Students will be expected to prepare pre-assigned readings ahead of the sessions.