Creativity, Innovation and Motivation
Teresa’s research and writing on creativity, innovation, and the motivational forces that influence them in individuals, teams, and organizations spans four decades. This work has led to her prominence as one of the leading experts in the field. Using both laboratory experiments and field research, Teresa discovered the intrinsic motivation principle of creativity: People are most creative when they are motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and challenge inherent in the work itself. In addition to providing a comprehensive theory of creativity, Teresa’s work in this area has led to a method for assessing creativity and a set of prescriptions for supporting creativity and innovation.
Hennessey, B. A. & Amabile, T. M. (2010). Creativity. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 569-598.
This comprehensive article reviews psychological research on creativity, with a focus on the past 10 years. Special attention is given to new developments, such as creativity in education and in organizations, cross-cultural differences in creativity, and the neuroscience of creative processes.
Amabile, T.M., Hadley, C.N., and Kramer, S.J. (2002). Creativity Under the Gun. Harvard Business Review, August 2002, 52-61.
Although high levels of time pressure usually hamper creativity, and low-to-moderate levels are generally optimal, there are certain (rare) conditions of high time pressure under which creativity can thrive. The keys are motivation and focus.
Amabile, T.M. (1998). How to Kill Creativity. Harvard Business Review, September-October 1998, 76-87.
After illustrating the requisite ingredients of creativity for individuals, and the ingredients of innovation for organizations, this article describes how well-intentioned managers can – and do – kill creativity every day. The article offers specific guidelines for keeping creativity alive in the workplace, including methods for supporting the intrinsic motivation crucial for creativity.
