思想从何而来？在实施新思路的过程中怎样排除各种障碍？什么是综合法、平行思维法、形态分析法和头脑风暴法？对难题加以定义为何重要？本书对上述问题及其他有关问题作了清楚而确切的解释。对于那些接受短期培训的管理者、MBA，以及想迅速了解这一问题核心内容的教师和学生来说，都不失为极具价值的参考书。它还可以作为管理人员的藏书，以及那些有抱负的管理人员完善自己知识和技能的参考资料。

前 言

     Management Creativity is an old well-established topic but at the sametime, as a subject area in its own right it is relatively new. I was introducedto the subject by Tudor Rickards in l984--5 while I was a doctoral researcherat Manchester Business School. I was extremely intrigued by the subjectand although my key interests at the time were Marketing and BusinessCompuhng I dedded tO show more than a passing interest in the sub-ject.
     In the late l980s l was interested in computer assisted creativity and,indeed, my doctoral thesis addressed this particular aspect of creativity.Few people rior to this had addressed the subject and I became somewhatof a pioneer. erhaps it as the initial pioneering spirit that eventuallyled me to become engrossed in he subject of management creativity and,eventually, to produce this book. When I moved to Keele University in l987 it was to develop Marketingas a subject within the curriculum. This I did. but at the same time I beganto run undergraduate and postgraduate options in Management Creativity.I can only say that I was extremely surprised by the great amount ofinterest that was shown in the subject. It became one of the most popularoptions available.
     Before writing this book I had been conscious for some time that there was not really a suitable textbook to use for the courses l was running.With this in mind I decided to write the book. It covers most of the materialone would expect to find in a book on creative problem solving formanagement. Arguably, there is other material which could have been included. However, I feel that the material I have included forms a tight entity in its own right and to include material which might equally wellbe considered under the heading of such subjects as the management of change or innovation would not be appropriate.
     Creativity and Management Creahvity can encompass a wide spectrum of material. What I have included here is essentially concerned with creative problem solving. It contains many practical techniques and methods which will appeal to students and to practising managers alike.
   

  1. Creativity in management 1    Nature of creative thinking l    The importance of creativity in management 2    Creahve problem solving 4    The background of creative problem solving 4    Overview of the creative problem-solving process 5    An IDEAL model for problem solving 8    How creative thinking may be used in management 10    Problem identification and definition 12    Idea generation methods 13    Evaluating ideas 15    Implementing ideas 16    Computer assisted creativity aids 16    References 17 2. Coping with blocks to creative problem solving 2    Information processing and problem solving 21    Mind-set 23    Other barriers to creative problem solving 26    Blocks in an organizational setting 28    A dimate for creativity and innovation 3l    References 35 3. Theories of creativity 37    What is creative thinking? 37        What are ideas? 39    Theories of creativity 40    The cognitive theory of creativity 44    The brain as a human information processing system 47    How knowledge is stored in memory 48    SCRIPTS, DELTACTS and MOPS 50    How we get ideas: the index metaphor 51    References 54 4. Identifying the problem 56    Problem definition and redefinition 58    Methods of problem definition or redefinition 58    Redefinitional techniques 59    Analytical techniques 67    References 75 5. Morphological analysis and related techniiques 76    Listing 76    Checklists 78    Clithes, proverbs and maxims 79    Attribute listing 8l    Morphological analysis 82    SCIMITAR 85    Heuristic ideation technique 85    Component detailing 87    The Allen morphologizer 91    Sequence--attribute modification matrix 93    References 96 6. Brainstorming and its variants 97    Classical brainstorming 98    Main types of problem that can be tackled 100    Composition of a brainstorming group 101    Conducting a brainstorming session 10l    The process of brainstorming 102    Brainwriting game 106    Gordon--Little variation 107    Story boards 108    Trigger method 11l    References 111 7. Lateral thinking 112    Vertical versus lateral thinking 112    Dimensions of lateral thinking l13    Analogies 124    References 126 8. Synectics and related approaches 127    Metaphors l27    Synectics 128    Nature of the psychological states 129    Membership of a synectics group 130    Features of synectics 132    Operahonal mechanisms 133    Synectics process 136    When to use synectics, and its limitations 143    References 143 9. Miscellaneous idea-generating methods 144    Visual metaphor 144    Mind-mapping 147    Value an