Investigating the innovation process as influencing factor on creativity : A case study in the manufacturing industry

The purpose of this thesis is to fill a research gap in the understanding of the involved mechanisms between the innovation process and creativity in a manufacturing company. In particular focus are the two innovation process interfaces between the technology development, product development and production departments and their influence on creativity and information flow. A conceptual framework is proposed, based on the combination of previous research in individual creativity and innovation process, to assess the influence via the innovation process interfaces on product knowledge and creative climate as creativity prerequisites. This study uses an explorative two single case study design with integrated triangulation and an abductive approach to fulfilling the research aim. These case studies took place in two Swedish manufacturing companies with a complete in-house innovation process using semi-structured interviews, two questionnaires and focus groups. The findings imply that the innovation process affects the basic prerequisites of individual creativity knowledge and creative climate due to its structural, strategic and physical implementation. Furthermore, the interfaces between the innovation sub-processes technology development, product development and production mediate the exchange of information between the involved departments. The results of this study adding valuable insights in this research field and propose further research including systems theory to achieve further in-depth understanding