{"670723":{"#nid":"670723","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Perception of a Worker\u2019s Creativity Affects Their Network and Standing Within an Organization","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWe work with coworkers every day to help us solve problems. For example, we may exchange ideas when discussing ways to increase revenue or when rolling out a new product or service. As we develop closer relationships with colleagues, we may notice a coworker who often thinks outside the box or is always teeming with ideas to help improve the organization. You might even be the person with all the ideas. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA recent study looked at the influence of coworker creativity on work relationships and discovered something interesting: Participants sought a closer relationship with coworkers they perceived as being more creative. Moreover, the subjects were more inclined to establish a closer relationship with a creative coworker of the opposite sex or from a different demographic than them. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/shalley\/index.html\u0022\u003EChristina E. Shalley\u003C\/a\u003E, Sharon M. and Matthew R. Price Chair and professor of Organizational Behavior at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agnesscott.edu\/directory\/faculty\/breidenthal-amy.html\u0022\u003EAmy P. Breidenthal\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, assistant professor of Business Management\u003C\/span\u003E at Agnes Scott College; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fbe.unimelb.edu.au\/managementmarketing\/our-people\/meet-our-academics\/gamze-koseoglu\u0022\u003EGamze Koseoglu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003Esenior lecturer in Management at The University of Melbourne, examined whether the number and strength of a creative coworker\u0027s relationships increased over time as more colleagues sought them out. Their paper \u0022\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/job.2737\u0022\u003EWhen perceiving a coworker as creative affects social networks over time: A network theory of social capital perspective\u003C\/a\u003E\u0022 was recently published in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Organizational Behavior. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EIf a creative coworker\u0027s network did increase, they posited that the coworker would also be seen as a high performer and given a more favorable position within the organization, especially if the organization valued and encouraged creativity. In other words, in an organization that encouraged creativity, the more coworkers developed relationships with a creative coworker, the more others sought to do the same, which increased the creative person\u0027s network and standing within the organization.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPerhaps most surprising is that among their hypotheses, a creative coworker in a minority group and from a different demographic was viewed as more creative and experienced more popularity within the network. This is due to a perception among coworkers - and in previous research - that minorities and those from different demographics tend to offer distinctive points of view, different ways of thinking, and, therefore, more significant creative insights. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cBesides improving relationship opportunities for minority employees, this also provides advantages for employees in the majority since they can potentially benefit from learning from diverse other perspectives and acquiring resources from them,\u201d said Shalley.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBased on their findings, creative individuals within the workplace are viewed in high regard, prompting others to work on establishing a closer relationship with these colleagues. Furthermore, when a creative employee\u2019s network is expanded, they may be offered more opportunities in an organization, particularly if the organization encourages creativity. In addition, their work suggests that being seen as a creative employee boosts confidence in their abilities with themselves and their coworkers. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShalley et al. believe organizations would do well to encourage creativity in the workplace. The researchers suggest organizations can accomplish this by providing development opportunities that help introduce colleagues who may not know each other and encourage them to discuss potential solutions to organizational problems. Holding brainstorming meetings can also promote creativity among workers as long as organizations ensure that all ideas are treated equally. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOur findings highlight practical opportunities for both employees and managers to enhance relationships closeness, especially for employees who are dissimilar from their coworkers, by being creative at work,\u201d said Shalley.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA recent research paper by Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business faculty member Christina E. Shalley asserts that creative workers, particularly of different gender and demographics, are sought out more by their coworkers, who work towards developing a closer working relationship with that individual.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Employees tend to align with creative workers, particulary from different genders and demographics, in the workplace."}],"uid":"28082","created_gmt":"2023-10-27 16:10:11","changed_gmt":"2023-11-03 18:59:36","author":"Lorrie Burroughs","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-10-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-10-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1274","name":"Scheller College of Business"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELorrie Burroughs\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}