Section 2: Case Study of your work organisation (Approximately 2000 words)
A case study of creativity in action in which your findings can be presented within a business report. The study will enable you to critically evaluate and synthesise your learning of how creativity and innovation might most effectively be stimulated, supported and sustained within your chosen institution. The case study will focus mainly on the social and organisational context of your work environment (Henry and others). This is where you will need to explore how your organisation supports or inhibits creativity and innovation.
This requires that you explore the climate for creativity (e.g. Amabile, Ekvall, Isaksen) by undertaking an in-depth analysis of factors contributing to these models. Which might be the factors where your work environment supports creativity and innovation – if any? Which might be the factors that inhibit creativity and innovation? Climate surveys are based on psychometrically validated measures and the publishers charge for their use. You are not expected to carry out a diagnostic survey of the climate although if you would like to do this please discuss this with me personally. You are strongly discouraged from designing and implementing a survey yourself or using only some of the questions as this results in a loss of validity and reliability of the measurement and is, therefore, meaningless. Any survey will require formal ethical approval from the University of Bedfordshire.
An excellent case study is one where an in-depth analysis can be demonstrated. You might conclude that the work environment is highly supportive or your might conclude that it is not supportive at all. You are assessed on the application of theory, analysis, conclusions and recommendations. You will need to extend this to consider the implications from the perspectives of creative leadership and human resource management and development. Extending your studies from Leading and Managing People, how might creative and innovative behaviours be supported by leadership and HRM?
• Identify, reflect upon and evidence key areas for development and stipulate areas of excellence in creative management and development.
• Draw on major theoretical perspectives and experiential learning to reflect upon and critically evaluate the implications for the workplace.
• Highlight perceived stimulants and obstacles to creativity and innovation in the work organisation
• Analyse critical incidents or future challenges in relation to a range of decision-making and creativity theories.
• Critically reflect upon the impact of leader creativity and behaviours to achieve organisational goals.
• Critically evaluate existing practices (your own and others) exploring the implications for creative leadership and organisational development and outline innovative recommendations for improvement.
• Evidence your analysis with practical examples. Demonstrate integration between applied theory, workplace scenarios and self-awareness of individual contribution to promoting creativity and innovation.
• Critically review the role of creativity in organisational development and demonstrate a capacity to balance innovation with other essential requirements.
A Discussion Forum will be made available one month before the submission deadline for questions and answers.
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In the unlikely event that your work organisation prevents adequate analysis I can agree an alternative. Use of an unapproved alternative case study will result in failure of the unit.

Report Guidelines for Part 2 of the Learning Portfolio
Section / Title Details / Guidance
Title page Title of your report. Address (to/from) and date the report.
Executive Summary 150 word maximum summary of your report, including key recommendations.
Contents Page Include page numbers.
Introduction Short (approximately 250 words) introduction to the organisation context
Application and Analysis Identify appropriate academic sources introduced in this unit for application to the organisational context to critically analyse how creativity and innovation are supported or inhibited. You will need to and extend these through your independent focused reading.
This requires in-depth analysis supported by appropriate climate models and a consideration of your role as a leader in promoting creativity and innovation that is sustainable (approximately 1200 words)
Conclusions This section should initially answer the report aim and objectives and draw together the main points derived from your analysis. It summarises what has been learned from the critical analysis in context. (Approximately 200 words)
Recommendations Make recommendations for improvement based upon your conclusions, clearly stating how they can add value to the organisation. Recommendations should be fully feasible and justified and consider any further implications to the organisation. The recommendations for action should be linked directly to promotion of creativity and innovation. (Approximately 200 words)
Reference List A list of all sources cited directly in the text. Harvard style
Bibliography List The sources you consulted but which you do not cite