Creative Organizational Climate

If creativity is the making and communicating of meaningful new connections, then what kind of environment promotes this kind of activity? This is a key issue for those who teach, train, lead, and manage; particularly due to the increasing demand for creativity and innovation.

Environment, or climate, is a measurable concept. It could be considered the state within which an individual finds him- or herself; the team or group situation; the conditions within a family, school, or community; the atmosphere within an organization; a national or cultural milieu; or even the global environment. The environment includes physical surroundings, the invisible force of history and tradition, and explicit and implicit values and norms. Many are finding it useful to define and differentiate culture from climate.

The following are ...