Contemporary situation in the creativity area in the Slovak Republic.

Lenhardtova, Zuzana ; Caganova, Dagmar ; Babelova, Zdenka Gyurak 等

1. INTRODUCTION

Creativity is applied in searching and creating innovative impluses because their nature is just in recognizing a new way of problem solving. Creativity is an ability of humans to generate new or unconventional ideas able to satisfy needs of a clique. In this process employees increasingly utilize creative methods. In practice intuitive and systematic creative methods are used.

Entry of the Slovak Republic in the EU structures opened European markets for companies doing business in the SR what put pressure on them to innovate both their products and services. Companies began to be aware of the fact if they want "to survive" they must constantly develop creativeness and systematically educate their employees that means to improve in terms of "continuous working on themselves".

2. INNOVATOR AND CREATIVE POTENTIAL

Companies that wish to be competitive and have chosen the way of vast innovations need a person or a group of people who are carriers of innovations, innovative activities that means innovators. Without innovators no company, region or state overcame the barrier of backwardness and poverty. The innovator is expected to be creative and able to finalize things. His/her task is to transform a good idea into a succesful materialization what requires his/her efforts and persistent working and also support and further development opportunities from the company. In the Fig. 1. we can see the position of the "innovator" in dependence on creativity and business experience.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In a company there are employees--innovators who represent creative potential. Creative potential comprises a complex of knowledge, abilities, skills, motivation, personable and moral characteristics of an employee which meet together in the creative process in mutual accord. This results in solutions of existing or future problems not known yet however socially valuable. By means of the following formula we can express the creative potential of an innovator:

TPI = OP + SP (1)

TPI--innovator's creative potential,

OP--personable potential,

SP--behaviour potential (action competence).

TPI (Innovator s creative potential); Ability to approach issues in a creative way, act creatively and solve problems is conditioned by human character (so-called Personable potential) and how he/she shows himself/herself outwards, how he/she behaves (so called behaviour potential).

OP (Personable potential); is created by logical and emotional intelligence:

OP = IQ + EQ (2)

IQ (Intelligence potential); known as intelligence quotient what is a numeric indication of the intelligence level of the person examined.

EQ (Emotional potential); known as emotional intelligence that is at least as important as the intelligence quotient and is related to the personality. Emotional intelligence inludes not only emotions and feelings but also sensibility, motivation system of the personality, value system and the overall management style of stress, loads and frustrations.

Emotional intelligence consists of several components and is reviewed according to two criteria:

1. Components oriented inside of the person--identification of own emotions (self-assurance) identification of own abilities (e.g. self-confidence), own emotion checking (self-management) and motivation (self-motivation),

2. Components oriented outside--interaction with the surroundings:

* sympathy--state raising the prima facie (1st impression),

* empathy--ability to put oneself in the thinking and emotions of others,

* social perception--social sense; good orientation in social situations; management of social relationships.

SP (Behaviour potential); expresses behaviour manners and course of action of an innovator including as follows:

* consistency and studiousness in work,

* conflict situation solving methods,

* sense of group dynamics, team work,

* open and flexible approach--ability to accept new things, not refuse it or be able to consider it as one of alternative solving methods,

* communication with surroundings--the clearest address, verbalization.

The potential is necessary not only to obtain, but also as information (Resetova):

* effectively use,

* dynamically and constantly develop,

* rationally distribute,

* seriously protect and maintain.

3. INNOVATOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF CREATIVITY

Creativity is not an attribute connected with artistic activities only it should be seen in much larger sense. We must realize that it is not a givenness. It is more an ability that can be trained, developed and of course also evaluated (Hornak, Holkova, 2003).

Companies have to realize that they lose their position on the market if not responding to competitors actions fast enough what will cause them considerable financial losses. And just employees should utilize creative methods in the process of research, development, production or thinking and working changes.

Systematical development of brainware and formation of suitable creative working environment is a long-distance race. Based on experience we can state that companies often inadvertently kill creativity in their employees. Many a time there is a new employee at the beginning motivated, prepared to work and share to problem solving however if the company doesn't provide him/her sufficient conditions for creative thinking, working with creative methods and further development his/her behaviour changes and a creative, loyal and challenging person changes into a person disrelishing working, lazy who needs coordination and control.

The result of decreasing employee satisfaction is increasing fluctuation rate, confidental information and know how leakage threat and unsatisfied the customer, who must change their company contact partner (Vanova, 2007).

Actual situation indicates the fact that companies look for a creative employee, however don't emphasize development of brainware enough. We can observe that creative methods are clear to employees, they apply them in the work and realize the creativity importance (Lenhardtova, 2008).

Creativity is related to overcoming conventions and traditions and not every company is prepared to decide like this. Creativity can be included in the so called "soft skills" the sense of education being in increase of creative efficiency in the area of creative thinking and creative communication methods.

Ing. Lenhardtova carried out the survey within her disertation thesis from February 2007 to February 2008. The 102 respondents from various Slovak companies participated in the below mentioned survey. We came to the following conclusions concerning the employee creative potential development.

There is no education process aimed at braiware developing of employees in many companies (Fig. 2.) (44,6%). Respondents included also employees working in companies that only start these activities (35,6%).

It can be stated that the education process in companies is sporadical (Fig. 3.) (59,8%). They are more aimed to impulse education and don't attach high importance to it. Education process is mostly aimed at development of skills in the area of creative methods utilization as well as at basic familiarization with creative methods.

Employers in the SR enable their employees to increase qualification in creative methods especially for needs of the company. Employers meet the costs connected with education process and the education itself is provided by educational institutions. We appreciate that employees can take part in educational process during the hours of service what on the other hand can cause incomplete concentration of participants. Employees prefer 2-5 days trainings what also is an optimum time for realization of such an educational activity type.

4. CONCLUSION

Creative process is often very long and painful and sometimes doesn't lead to the results. That's why it is a big asset for the company if the employee is free in his/her "flight" because life can be measured not only by time of life but also by creative achievements. This research can lead to the creativity development of future technical universities graduates. The article was worked out within the research project VEGA Nr. 1/0156/08 ,Key manager competencies in the range of specific functional management areas and their applicable development concepts".

5. REFERENCES

Hornak, F.; Holkova, A. (2003). Thew approach to evaluation of managers from managerial creativity development aspect. In Materials Science and Technology, Available from:http://www.mtf.stuba.sk/docs//internetovy_casopis/20 03/3/hornak.pdf Accessed: 2009-07-03

Kovac, M. (2003). Inovacie a technicka tvorivost, Available from: http://web.tuke.sk/sjf-icav/stranky/obrazky2/etexty/inovacie.pdf Accessed: 2009-07-03

Lenhardtova, Z. (2008). The creativity potential survey in Slovak enterprises. In: Vedecke prace MTF STU v Trnave, No. 24, p. 97-101, ISSN 1336-1589

Resetova, K. (2006). Informacny a vedomostny manazment. In: Vyuzlvanie informacil v informacnej spolocnosti. pp 211-213, Centrum VTI SR, ISBN 80-85165-92-9, Bratislava

Vanova, J. (2007). Influence of firm culture on engagement and stabilisation of employees in quality management system conditions. In: Kvalita, No. 3, Y. 15, pp 40-42, ISSN 1335-9231

Fig. 2. Education process aimed at brainware development

yes, the educational process is
carried outsystematicaly (15,8%)
yes, but we are just in the
beginning (35,6%)
the educational process in this area
is not carried outproces (44,6%)
others (4,0%)

Fig. 3. Education intensity in the area of brainware
development

others (14,6%)
once a year (15,9%)
biannualy (8,5%)
quaterly (1,2%)
sporadically (59,8%)

Note: Table made from pie chart.