Creativity Perspective on Entrepreneurship

Creativity is often perceived as rather static: something that one either has or does not have. However, there are several examples on how to manipulate mental states to temporarily become more creative by using techniques for cognitive stimulation (Gordon 1961; De Bono 1992) and by using processes for structuring the thoughts of individuals and interaction in teams (Osborn 1953; De Bono 1985; Paulus and Yang 2000). More interestingly, research suggests that it may be possible to learn the “rules of creativity” by simple train- ing (Scott et al. 2004; Rose and Lin 1984; Torrance 1972). As such, it is pos- sible to advance the skills of creativity and thus become more creative human beings in all aspects of life including the engagement in entrepreneurial activi- ties. The potential of taking this knowledge into the field of entrepreneurship education is interesting for the development of better entrepreneurs. This chapter discusses the role of creativity training for entrepreneurship education and matters of concern in integrating creativity training in entrepreneurship education. Concepts of creativity and creativity training are reviewed next, followed by the examination of the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurship. The integration of creativity into entrepreneurship is then discussed, followed by conclusion and suggestions for potential implications for future research.