Journal Article 1  Selby, E. C., Shaw, E. J., & Houtz, J. C. (2005). The Creative Personality. Gifted Child Quarterly, 49(4), 300-314.

Abstract: The study of the creative personality has established itself as a major avenue of research on creativity and creative problem solving, other areas being creative process, product, and environment (or press). With respect to personality research, over the past 50-plus years, many studies have examined characteristics, attitudes, preferences, styles, and other personal qualities that appear to distinguish highly creative individuals. The purposes of this article are to review the accumulated body of creative personality research; describe the works of a few major researchers and their methods; briefly review theories that have been offered to explain why these personal qualities are causes, correlates, and/or outcomes of the creative process; and examine the relatively new construct of creative and problem-solving styles. Style assessment builds upon traditional personality research but holds substantial promise for talent identification and development for all individuals, not just those recognized as creatively gifted.

Journal Article 2  Amabile, T. M., Barsade, S. G., Mueller, J. S., & Staw, B. M. (2005). Affect and Creativity at Work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50(3), 367-403.

Abstract: This study explored how affect relates to creativity at work. Using both quantitative and qualitative longitudinal data from the daily diaries of 222 employees in seven companies, we examined the nature, form, and temporal dynamics of the affect-creativity relationship. The results indicate that positive affect relates positively to creativity in organizations and that the relationship is a simple linear one. Time-lagged analyses identify positive affect as an antecedent of creative thought, with incubation periods of up to two days. Qualitative analyses identify positive affect as a consequence of creative thought events, as well as a concomitant of the creative process. A preliminary theory of the affect-creativity cycle in organizations includes each of these links and proposes mechanisms by which they may operate.

Journal Article 3  Borins, S. (2001). Public Management Innovation: Toward a Global Perspective. The American Review of Public Administration, 31(1), 5-21.

Abstract: Previous research based on a sample of the best applications to the State and Local Government Innovation Awards (1990-1994) identified the most frequently observed characteristics of public management innovations: They are holistic, use new information technology, incorporate process improvements, empower citizens and communities, and involve partnerships with the private sector. This sample also demonstrated the importance of middle managers and front-line staff as initiators, indicated that the innovations were more frequently a response to internal problems or opportunities than crises, and showed that the innovations were more frequently the result of planning than of Behn’s model of “groping along.” This research was replicated with three new samples of innovations: applications to the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s public management innovation award, the Innovations in American Government awards, and the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management innovation awards. Preliminary results for all three replications were similar to the original study.

Journal Article 4  Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2011). Enhancing Collaborative Innovation in the Public Sector. Administration & Society, 43(8), 842-868.

Abstract: Encouraged by the proliferation of governance networks and the growing demands for public innovation, this article aims to advance “collaborative innovation” as a cross-disciplinary approach to studying and enhancing public innovation. The article explains the special conditions and the growing demand for public innovation, and demonstrates how it can be enhanced through multiactor collaboration. The case for collaborative innovation is supported by insights from three different social science theories. The theoretical discussion leads to the formulation of an analytical model that can be used in future studies of collaborative innovation in the public sector.