When doing things the same way makes you more creative: Using habits of perspective to increase useful creativity and resist detrimental effect of financial incentives

How do habits of perspective affect useful creativity? How do habits of perspective influence the relationship between different incentive types and useful creativity?

This study explores how individuals develop habitual perspectives from repetitive tasks they enact over time, and how these deeply ingrained habits of perspective influence creativity. Further, this study proposes that habits of perspective are resistant to the creativity-stunting effect of financial incentives.

In a randomised controlled trial, participants will develop specific habits of perspective and perform creativity tasks under different incentive schemes. The study will then be duplicated in the field at a social venture incubator, a business accelerator, a marketing organisation in London, and an international non-profit. We expect our results to show that companies who want to encourage innovation in their employees should focus on the perspective their employees’ daily tasks induce in them.

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Key facts

Year: 2018
Location: UK
Institution: University of Cambridge Judge Business School