Problem Solving, Creativity and Solution Setting

21854 - Problem Solving, Creativity and Solution Setting

Critical Reflection

Student Name: Manni Xia

Student Number: 13011731

Tutor: Dr Ece Kaya

Tutorial Day & Time: Thursday 12:00

Date: 19/10/2020

Reflection on Creativity

Course reading and research study can often become unsettling ways of seeking the most appropriate study tools, but they can be satisfying. I have had a first-hand experience while researching possible creative solutions. The experience was highly enlightening since I could analyze the learning objectives. From the course's goals, I discovered problems, and then I strategized creative methods for solutions. I applied coursework resources and reading in the library to analyze issues related to the third and fourth learning objectives. I was able to discover scenarios where creativity could get applied as a value-adding strategy. The scenarios, coupled with my intense studying, bolster creativity in me.

The first problem I discovered was mimetic norms in the business environment. The mimetic structure is when businesses imitate other businesses intending to fulfill expectations to gain authenticity. The companies must be responsible for their departments to ensure compliance with social principles. This exerts pressure on individual companies to perform similar to previously functional businesses. I have studied a small juice vending business that attempted to implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software at a single location. The small-scale business had the belief that large-scale juice manufacturers used ERP software to bolster revenue growth. However, ERP software is not advisable for companies that do not have many employees and departments. The pressure exerted on businesses usually occurs under the foreign influence where local industries attempt to gain superior performance by imitating foreign companies.

A possible solution to end mimetic norms is to ensure creative techniques get developed to incapacitate businesses from mimicking established companies. Creativity provides various tactics that demonstrate a business’s market share. Advertising is a creative technique that targets multiple customers in various regions and informs them of their products. For instance, social media advertising is an innovative tool that exposes a business to millions of potential customers. Once a company is known by many people, mimetic norms are less likely to steal a company’s idea to use if for their business growth perspective. Another creative tactic is to analyze a company’s budget to determine the most valuable and distinguishing product. The company would become proactive and find the right path to take to market its products. In the example business above, which attempted to implement ERP software, I propose initial implementation of point of sale software since it is cheap and suitable for small scale business.

The second problem I discovered is a non-mimetic business strategy. This strategy applies the attempt to build a new product or technique without gaining insight from other companies. Upon my critical analysis and thorough reading, I have found that this strategy focuses on innovating new products and tactics. Innovation is a disruptive action that exposes people to recent technological trends. There are situations when the above method would pay off, and in some cases, the strategy can hinder a business entirely. In the first scenario, I consider an emerging company that wants to take the market by storm using new technology. The company applies new software that has never gotten used by consumers before. Once this innovation goes to the market, consumers are not pleased and do not utilize it. The second scenario is a company that examined existing products and sought ways to improve the product. This is a non-mimetic tactic since the company did not copy any product. It only made their product better using a personal plan and resources.

A possible solution to end non-mimetic norms is to form creative solutions to problems related to business activities. Application and acquisition of a patent is an innovative tactic. This solution is costly, yet very useful in the protection of unique products of features. A company cannot mimic a patented product even if the patent is still pending. This creative tactic introduces another innovative tactic. The tactic is to force businesses to find their way around a patent. This tactic is not illegal as long the new business uses its unique plan, resources, and team to build a product. A possible solution to the problem in the second scenario is to form partnerships. A partnership is a creative tool that will allow the sharing ideas and critical analysis of business development techniques. Numerous ideas get recorded and considered for the formation of an innovative product. The partnerships will expose teams to study implementation cases where companies detail factors contributing to their success or loss.

The creative solutions I have discussed in the above paragraphs are all viable in the current market. First, advertising is economically feasible. This proposed solution guides prospective customers on products’ information in an attempt to influence the demand for products. It boosts the economy by providing revenue to media, whereby media with high traffic sells its space and time. Second, budget allocation is vital in the implementation of a creative tactic since it determines resource allocation based on a company’s capital. Cases of companies acquiring expensive software, for instance, will be less likely to occur. The budget allocation would allow a company to save its profits in line with a vibrant economy’s subsidies. Third, a patent is feasible since it exposes a company to the business environment. Companies may source for funds from investors to once they own a patent. Economic growth gets promoted since a patent leads to the manufacture of new products for internal and external markets. Fourth, partnerships are economy boosters since, on a large scale, they develop inter-governmental and inter-organizational relationships. Trade gets promoted between the partnering countries and organizations with the ultimate goal of reducing protectionism.

Overall, I have learned tactics that I can apply in a professional environment. Before I studied creative solutions to business problems, I did not appreciate the efforts invested in creativity. It became increasingly apparent to me that problems would get easily solved using creative thinking. Now I know that traditional business strategies must change in order to adapt to the new digitized market. Disruptive innovation is continually creating a new market that would require creative management. Innovations in health, infrastructure, business, manufacturing, and education get regularly introduced into the market. It is imperative to source innovative management with realistic techniques for problem-solving.