Degree Date

12-20-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Ric Dressen

Second Advisor

Dr. Bruce Locklear

Third Advisor

Dr. Kristeen Chachage

Abstract

Creativity is vital to corporate success in a global economy and contributes to employee work satisfaction. Grounded in constructivism, this dissertation advances arguments regarding how organizational policies and leader practices can support workplace creativity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gather insights into leaders’ perceptions of how creativity is fostered in the workplace and develop recommendations to support knowledge industry leaders in cultivating creativity. Findings are based on 10 semi-structured interviews from leaders in one large, knowledge industry corporation headquartered in the United States' mid-Atlantic region. Leaders shared their beliefs and experiences related to creativity in the workplace. Thematic analysis revealed six themes: (a) creativity is a business imperative, (b) the business model can hinder creativity, (c) flattened hierarchy incubates workplace creativity, (d) leader behaviors facilitate a culture of psychological safety, (e) leader behaviors encourage ideation, and (f) individual characteristics contribute to workplace creativity. Study findings highlight the need for leaders to acknowledge the constraints of the knowledge industry business model and actively seek ways to mitigate those challenges to positively impact organizational culture. Eight recommendations to support corporations were provided, three policy recommendations, three practice recommendations, and two focused on future scholarship. Data collected in this study will contribute to existing scholarship on creativity in the workplace and begin to fill a gap in research on workplace creativity in knowledge industry corporations.

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