ORG468 Creative Problem Solving

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Master’s Programme in International Business
• Master's Programme in Business Administration

Teaching language

English

Prerequisites

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or equivalent.

Course contents

Creative ideas are no longer the output of lone rangers but of individuals collaborating in teams, therefore, this course is designed to stimulate the students´ collaborative potential. Characteristics of creative teamwork (individual, team and organizational processes) and the creative work environment are at the core of this course. As "idea" is an overused word (e.g., raw idea, idea concept), prototype and invention are introduced for its better understanding. The phases of an ideal creative problem-solving process (problem, preparation, question, ideation, evaluation, modification, prototyping) are explained in detail before creative and design methods (e.g. Mind Mapping, 6-3-5, Morphological Chart, Design Thinking and Lego Serious Play) shown as a means for solving a real-life practical problem. The course will be divided in four parts as follows:

Part 1: Characteristics of creative team work

This will consist of understanding how individual, team and organizational processes impact the creative work environment and how to stimulate improvisational creativity by thinking both inside and outside the box.

Part 2: Types of creative contribution

This part will provide an overview of the different types of creative contributions, namely, idea, prototype, innovation and invention.

Part 3: The creative problem-solving process

This part of the course is dedicated to understanding the creative problem-solving process in preparation for applying creativity techniques.

Part 4: Creativity techniques

Mind mapping, 6-3-5, morphological charts, design thinking and Lego Serious Play will be some of the techniques that will be applied for creative problem-solving.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

• discuss the phases, success factors and basic conditions for creative teamwork.

• develop fuzzy areas as an opportunity, prerequisite and limitation of creative problem solving.

• formulate a project (phases of task completion and team formation) so that it results in a creative prototype.

• develop ideas and formulate them to fruition with conviction.

• defend convincingly the creative results in an arena (elevator pitch situation).

• discuss ethical issues in the context of idea development.

Examination requirements

An oral presentation needs to be passed to be eligible for handing in the written term paper. More information will be provided in Canvas at the start of the semester.

Teaching methods

The course is an interactive seminar with practical exercises grounded in theory. The core of the course is a project- and experience-based workshop supplemented with lectures and self-study. Combined estimated workload is 205 hours. The course will be loosely structured as below and attendance in all the sessions is compulsory with possible exception according to the Act relating to universities and university colleges section 3-8 (2):

• Kick-off session to explain the course.

• 3 sessions of 3 hours each for introduction to creative problem solving.

• Individual self-studies to prepare for the two-week workshop.

• Two-week workshop.

Evaluation

Emneansvarlig fastsetter i samråd med studenttillitsvalgt evalueringsform og om emnene skal ha midtveis- eller sluttevaluering i tråd med kvalitetssystemet kapittel 4.1. Informasjon om evalueringsform for emnet publiseres i Canvas.

Assessment methods and criteria

The course will be evaluated based on one group (groups of 3-5 students) project, which will have to be presented orally and submitted as a written term paper (80% of the grade) and an individual written assignment (20% of the grade).

Assessment expression: letter grade, A-F. The grades will be assigned to the group as a whole.