d) Creativity is not tangible; creativity cannot be measured. Analysts can measure (and therefore make tangible) creativity by quantifying a wide number of criteria. For instance, idea generation can be measured according to number of ideas produced, their novelty, their variety and frequency of their production. The DIY Creativity and Innovation Audit that comes with MBA dissertation lists more than 150 benchmarking criteria, allowing holistic measurement.

e) Creative people will be creative whether they are "coached" or not. Perhaps. Consider infinite number of people who have been working on half finished manuscripts for months and often years. Management techniques increase creative output enabling completion in much shorter periods. Further, management techniques encourage targeted prolific activity, thus allowing building of competencies and improvement.

f) Managing Creativity is not a useful activity unless it results in economic gain. Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation. Innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. First use creativity to generate an idea pool and then use innovation to select feasible ideas, which can be developed and commercialised.

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These and other topics are covered in depth in MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased at http://www.managing-creativity.com

Kal Bishop, MBA, http://www.managing-creativity.com

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as author's name, web address and link to MBA dissertation is retained.

This led to much discontent on part of employees, and they needed to be reminded that their opinions were no longer welcomed repeatedly, which left Karen R. frazzled and stressed too.

The solution: Karen R. engaged a series of psychological tests for both herself and her employees, as initially she had no clue what was wrong or how to relieve problems. This test revealed that she was being somewhat "overly authoritative" in her approach, and also that her employees were "too expectant" in their demands that she include them in decisions. A compromise was reached, and Karen R., now allows some "input" from employees, but retains right to make a decision unilaterally. This combination of Authoritative/Permissive Management Styles has led to relief of stress within her organization, and has also led to increased happiness and productivity on part of employees.

Without a good knowledge of their own management styles, or psychological approaches to business, business owners can set themselves up for problems. They may be so difficult in their approach, and so set in their ways, that they in essence, would not put up with this behavior if they worked for themselves. Or they can be so passive, and so permissive, that they become "doormats" for employees, thus not achieving enough control over business. Karen R. above is a good example. Her Authoritative Management Style, when adopted, became much too rigid for growth of business, and this was because of her perceived "need" for control in a business that was growing rather rapidly. Because she herself felt somewhat overwhelmed by growth, she tended to approach employees, with an attitude that was too strict and unrelenting.

Assessment of situations, along with psychological tests administered to all within a business, if problems arise, can go a long way towards alleviating problems. These tests are generally available online or from Human Resource providers.

Business owners can't rectify a problem or their own behaviors or that of their employees, unless they know specifically what these problems are. Insight into themselves and others, will assist business owners into successful resolution of all problems as they occur. Knowledge of behaviors and knowledge of management styles, can prevent problems in management problems before they happen.