Exploring the relationships between problem-solving style and creative psychological climate

Scott G. Isaksen

pp. 169-188

in: Peter Meusburger, Joachim Funke, Edgar Wunder (eds), Milieus of creativity, Berlin, Springer, 2009

Abstract

Richard Florida (2002), a popular U.S. economist, argues that place is the key economic and social organizing unit of modern times and asserts that future models for economic growth need to focus on technology, talent, and tolerance. Technology includes innovation and concentration of high-tech industry. Talent is the number of people in creative occupations—creative capital. Tolerance is about places that are open and accepting and that have an edge in attracting different kinds of people. Implied in these three areas is the interaction of people and place, or person—environment fit.The purpose of this chapter is to approach the issue of person—environment fit through an operational framework of creativity and innovation. The concept that behavior is a function of both the person and the environment has its roots in the work of Lewin (1936, 1951). A more recent perspective is that taken by Sternberg and Vroom (2002), who discuss the importance of the person—environment issue within the context of leadership.