Creativity and Innovation in Business and Beyond : Social Science Perspectives and Policy Implications

In many modern economies, creativity, the essential prerequisite for innovation, tends to be assumed or neglected while the catchphrase "innovation" dominates the field of business as the key to national performance and competitiveness. Creativity and Innovation in Business and Beyond illustrates the ways in which creativity spurs innovation and innovation enables creativity – not only in the realms of business and management, where the innovation is regularly acknowledged and discussed, but throughout the social sciences. With contributions from experts in fields as far-flung as policy, history, economics, economic geography, sociology, law, psychology, social psychology and education, in addition to business and management, this volume explores the manifold avenues for creativity and innovation at many levels including nation, region, city, institution, organisation, and team across a multitude of sectors and settings.

Leon Mann is Professorial Fellow and Director of the Research Leadership Unit, Melbourne Research Office, University of Melbourne. He is a past President of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (2001-2003) and of the Australian Psychological Society (1987-1988). He is the co-author with Irving Janis of Decision Making (1977), Social Psychology (1969), Developing Leaders in R&D (1994) and Leadership, Management and Innovation in R&D Project Teams (2005).

Janet Chan is Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. She has worked as a consultant for a number of government organisations, was awarded nine Australian Research Council grants, and has published numerous books and articles on criminal justice and policing issues, including Changing Police Culture (1997), Fair Cop: Learning the Art of Policing (2003), and Reshaping Juvenile Justice (2005). Her recent research projects have focused on understanding individual and collective creative practice among artists, scientists and art-science collaborations.