Essay on Concepts

This essay must be written using 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1 margins, and as a single-spaced Word document. The essay must have eight (8) relevant peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles that focus on public administration and/or nonprofit organizations within the United States strategically related to the main points in each essay (published in 2010 or later). Two (2) practitioner or government documents (published in 2010 or later).

This essay will focus on creativity. Denhardt, Denhardt and Aristigueta (2013) mention the roles of adaptor and innovator in the public sector. While both are vital for organizational success, you need to investigate further the role of adaptor. You should fully explain how the role of adaptor is a significant function for public administrators to assume, detailing how the role promotes effective operations and can generate creativity within government agencies (or nonprofit organizations if you prefer to focus on that sector (Kirton, 1976). Kirton described adaptors as the type of people who try to find better ways of doing their work. These are the people who make improvements in existing practices, devise ways of cutting costs, and develop approaches to modify programs so as to better meet citizens’ needs. Goldsmith (1985) found that adaptors prefer short-term efficiency, seek consensus, and value conformity to rules and group norms.

Next, Deci and Ryan 1987), describe four ways to offer supportive supervision. Supervision that is supportive of employees fosters their creative achievement, whereas supervision that is controlling usually diminishes it (Cummings & Oldham, 1997). Supervisors can (1) be supportive by demonstrating concern for employees’ feelings, (2) encouraging employees to voice their concerns and needs, (3) providing positive and information-rich feedback, and (4) facilitating worker skill development (Deci & Ryan, 1987). You need to focus on #2. Plunkett (1990), for example, found that workers who believed that they had meaningful input into organizational decision making were more creative than those who did not. Thus, management and supervisory approaches that increase opportunities for participation can enhance creativity. You should elaborate on how your chosen role of adaptor can successfully use your method of support to maintain creativity within the workplace.

Regarding a creative side…. Use (loosely, if necessary) synectics. In other words,

you should find a suitable metaphor that can be a continued thread throughout the essay to

make meaningful connections between your selected role and the supportive way. Please use the metaphor of a building architect.

References

Cummings, A., & Oldham, G. R. (1997). Enhancing Creativity: Managing Work Contexts for the High Potential Employee. California Management Review, 40(1), 2238. https://doi.org/10.2307/41165920

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1987). The Support of Autonomy and the Control of Behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(6), 10241037. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.53.6.1024

Denhardt, R. B., Denhardt, J. V., & Aristigueta, M. P. (2013). Managing human behavior in public and nonprofit organizations (3rd ed.). Sage.

Goldsmith, R. E. (1985). Adaption-Innovation and Cognitive Complexity. The Journal of Psychology, 119(5), 461467. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1985.10542916

Kirton, M. (1976). Adaptors and innovators: A description and measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 61(5), 622629. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.61.5.622

Plunkett, D. (1990). The Creative Organization: An Empirical Investigation Of The Importance of Participation In Decision-Making. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 24(2), 140148. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.1990.tb00535.x