"Maybe Our Products Are Innovative, but Are We?!" Reconceptualizing Creativity Through MBA Course Journaling

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Innovations in Professional Education

Abstract

Creativity in the 21st century has been identified as a necessary skill for business students and professionals in corporate America. In response, academic institutions have developed business courses aiming to enhance students’ creativity and innovation skills. Recent studies show that such courses provide students with a theoretical foundation of knowledge, however, few studies examine the practical professional implications of these courses. Presented here is a qualitative longitudinal journaling study that examines the professional implications of thirty-eight MBA students as part of a creativity and innovation course. The authors found that MBA students reconceptualized their definition of creative tasks, effectively evaluated their work environments for creativity, and increased their intrinsic motivation to complete creative challenges.

Authors

• Alysha Meloche, Drexel University

• Elaine Perignat, Immaculata University