1.

Display a great deal of curiosity about many things; are constantly asking questions about anything and everything; may have broad interests in many unrelated areas. May devise collections based on unusual things and interests.

2. Generate a large number of ideas or solutions to problems and questions; often offer unusual ("way out"), unique, clever responses.

3. Are often uninhibited in expressions of opinion; are sometimes radical and spirited in disagreement; are unusually tenacious or persistent -- fixating on an idea or project.

4. Are willing to take risks, are often people who are described as a "high risk taker, or adventurous, or speculative."

5. Display a good deal of intellectual playfulness; may frequently be caught fantasizing, daydreaming or imagining. Often wonder out loud and might be heard saying, "I wonder what would happen if. . ."; or "What if we change . . .." Can manipulate ideas by easily changing, elaborating, adapting, improving, or modifying the original idea or the ideas of others. Are often concerned improving the conceptual frameworks of institutions, objects, and systems.

6. Display keen senses of humor and see humor in situations that may not appear to be humorous to others. Sometimes their humor may appear bizarre, inappropriate, irreverent to others.

7. Are unusually aware of his or her impulses and are often more open to the irrational within him or herself. May freely display opposite gender characteristics (freer expression of feminine interests in boys, greater than usual amount of independence for girls).

8. Exhibit heightened emotional sensitivity. May be very sensitive to beauty, and visibly moved by aesthetic experiences.

9. Are frequently perceived as nonconforming; accept disordered of chaotic environments or situations; are frequently not interested in details, are described as individualistic; or do not fear being classified as "different."

10. Criticize constructively, and are unwilling to accept authoritarian pronouncements without overly critical self-examination.

ORGANIZATIONAL CREATIVITY

Vicari defines creativity as: "the result of the conditions the whole organization is in" (Vicari, 1998)

It is not determined by the single individual creativities It is not the sum of individual creativities It is the context, that exalts synergies

Binnig defines creativity as: "...the evolutive aptitude of a system"(Binnig, 1991) This definition includes 3 fundamental concepts:

Aptitude; it is strictly connected with the idea that creativity is not just a condition, but it is a capability of modifying, changing, innovating. Every system has this aptitude for changing. System;it is concerned with the subject of creativity, that is to say a system. Not just individuals can be defined as creative, but also social systems,organizations, enterprises, as they all require the capability of changing. Evolution; change is a necessary, but not sufficient condition in order to define creativity.

Creativity means that systems are able to self-evolve without any external intervention. Then we could define a system as creative in case it is able to evolve in a not known, not predetermined and not definable way. In other words it is not possible to foresee systems behaviour just considering its input. (When we talk about the subjects of creativity, that is to say individuals, organizations and systems in general, now we will try to define organizational creativity and its relationship with the individual one. Vicari [1] a teacher at Bocconi University in Milan, says that organizational creativity doesnt correspond to the individual one. In particular it is not determined and it is not the sum of individual creativities, but it is the result of the conditions organizations are in.) For example a painter or a philosopher, who work at artistic academies or at universities, are creative individuals, but they dont make those institutions creative. What is important is not the quantity of creativity in an organization, but the relational and social context where individuals work. Moreover organizational creativity might also flourish from a low level of individual creativity. For example Japanese enterprises have shown, up to now, an excellent creative capability in several industries even if they have an organizational environment which doesnt support individual initiative but enhances team coordination. Then we could say that there is no bijective relationship between individual and organizational creativity. And we could classify organizations according to the possible combinations between individual and organizational creativity. In fact organizations can work by using a low or high level of creativity and in the same way their employees might be creative or not.

Tab. 2.1 - Kinds of creativity Individual creativity low

high

high Organizational creativity low

Organizations based on continuous development, on systematic research of efficiency Few innovations, just imitations Not effective organizations.

Successful organizations High rate of innovations

Low rate of innovations, sometimes radical, based on entrepreneurial spirit of individuals