Short answer
Designers should recognize that 'imagination' isn't monolithic; fostering creative, social, and practical thinking can lead to more innovative solutions.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Academy of Management Journal (2018)
- Method
- Quasi-experiment
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Individuals possess distinct creative, social, and practical imaginativeness skills that uniquely contribute to the quantity and quality of new venture ideas, beyond general motivation or experience. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Academy of Management Journal. Using Quasi-experiment, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should recognize that 'imagination' isn't monolithic; fostering creative, social, and practical thinking can lead to more innovative solutions.
Diverse Imaginativeness Skills Enhance New Venture Idea Generation and Quality
Individuals possess distinct creative, social, and practical imaginativeness skills that uniquely contribute to the quantity and quality of new venture ideas, beyond general motivation or experience.
Academy of Management Journal · 2018
Key Findings
- 01Three distinct imaginativeness skills (creative, social, practical) exist and vary among individuals.
- 02Each imaginativeness skill predicts new venture idea quantity and quality differently.
- 03These skills contribute to ideation outcomes independently of motivation, knowledge, and experience.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers should recognize that 'imagination' isn't monolithic; fostering creative, social, and practical thinking can lead to more innovative solutions.
How to apply
When brainstorming for a new product, consciously encourage participants to think from creative, social (user needs/interactions), and practical (feasibility/implementation) perspectives.
Project actions
- 01Consider how different team members contribute unique imaginative skills to your design projects.
- 02Explore methods to stimulate creative, social, and practical thinking during ideation phases.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Identifies and measures distinct cognitive skills related to imagination.
- +Demonstrates the differential impact of these skills on ideation outcomes.
Limitations
The specific measurement tools for these imaginativeness skills might be complex to replicate accurately in a school setting.
Reliability & validity
The study uses a quasi-experimental design, which allows for examination of effects but may have limitations in establishing direct causality compared to a true experiment. The validity of the imaginativeness measures would be a key consideration.
Think critically
How might a designer intentionally cultivate or encourage each of these three types of imaginativeness within a design team or during a specific design phase?
Design Principles
"Cultivate diverse cognitive approaches to problem-solving to maximize innovation potential."
Understanding these distinct imaginativeness skills is crucial for designers and entrepreneurs aiming to foster innovation. By recognizing and nurturing these different cognitive abilities, teams can develop more robust and diverse ideas, leading to more successful product development and market entry.
What This Means for Your Design
Different kinds of imagination help people come up with better and more ideas for new businesses.
How to use in your project
- 1.In your project, you can discuss how different members of your design team (or target user group) might exhibit different types of imaginativeness, influencing their idea generation and problem-solving approaches.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This study by Kier and McMullen (2018) reveals that entrepreneurial imaginativeness is not a single trait but comprises distinct creative, social, and practical skills. These skills differentially impact the quantity and quality of new venture ideas, suggesting that fostering a variety of imaginative approaches is key to robust ideation. For design projects, this implies that assembling teams with diverse imaginative strengths and employing ideation techniques that stimulate each of these facets can lead to more innovative and well-rounded design concepts.
Source
Academy of Management Journal
Entrepreneurial Imaginativeness in New Venture Ideation
journal · 2018
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about diverse imaginativeness skills enhance new venture idea generation and quality?
- Designers should recognize that 'imagination' isn't monolithic; fostering creative, social, and practical thinking can lead to more innovative solutions. Evidence: Academy of Management Journal (2018).
- Why does "Diverse Imaginativeness Skills Enhance New Venture Idea Generation and Quality" matter for design?
- Understanding these distinct imaginativeness skills is crucial for designers and entrepreneurs aiming to foster innovation. By recognizing and nurturing these different cognitive abilities, teams can develop more robust and diverse ideas, leading to more successful product development and market entry.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers should recognize that 'imagination' isn't monolithic; fostering creative, social, and practical thinking can lead to more innovative solutions.
- What were the main findings?
- Three distinct imaginativeness skills (creative, social, practical) exist and vary among individuals.. Each imaginativeness skill predicts new venture idea quantity and quality differently.. These skills contribute to ideation outcomes independently of motivation, knowledge, and experience.
- What research method was used?
- Quasi-experiment.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2018 journal from Academy of Management Journal.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When brainstorming for a new product, consciously encourage participants to think from creative, social (user needs/interactions), and practical (feasibility/implementation) perspectives.
- What are the limitations?
- The study's findings might be context-specific to entrepreneurship and may not directly translate to all design contexts without adaptation.