Fostering Creativity in Creative Environments: An Empirical Study of Saudi Architectural Firms

Authors

  • Ahmed Rashad ElMelegy The American University in Dubai
  • Qadir Mohiuddin New York Institute of Technology
  • Jess Boronico New York Institute of Technolgy
  • Ahmed A. Maasher IRAM Real Estate Development Co.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.14431

Abstract

Architecture, by its very nature is about creativity, not only in design but in all its forms, and therefore it is safe to assert that creativity and innovation are at the root of architectural design practices. This empirical research examines the factors that affect organizational creativity in architectural firms in Saudi Arabia in the context of Amabile’s componential theory. The research sample consisted of 210 professionals from five architectural firms operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. The research findings suggest that management practices, which permit autonomy, risk-taking, rewards for creativity and innovation, have the greatest impact on organizational creativity, briefly defined as the creation of a valuable new product. Furthermore, it can be surmised that other elements of Amabile’s componential theory including lack of organizational impediments, sufficient resources, realistic workload pressure, freedom, challenging work, management encouragement, and work group support have a significant impact on organizational creativity. The study also indicated that organizational encouragement has no significant causal connection with organizational motivation and therefore organizational creativity. The results extend the knowledge and understanding of the factors that affect creativity in exclusively creative environments. In addition, the implications for managerial practices and executive decision-making are explored. Keywords: Organizational Creativity, Management Practices, Organizational Motivation, Amabile’s Componential Theory, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia To cite this document: Ahmed Rashad ElMelegy, Qadir Mohiuddin, Jess Boronico, and Ahmed A. Maasher, "Fostering Creativity in Creative Environments: An Empirical Study of Saudi Architectural Firms", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 89-120, 2016. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.14431

Author Biographies

Ahmed Rashad ElMelegy, The American University in Dubai

Dr. Ahmed R. ElMelegy has a Ph.D. in Management Sciences from Illinois Institute of Technology, USA. Currently he is working as an Assistant Professor of Decision Sciences at The American University in Dubai. His main research focus is on value stream success and innovation at workplace, e-Services, technology acceptance, and queuing models.

Qadir Mohiuddin, New York Institute of Technology

Dr. Qadir Mohiuddin holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He is presently an Associate Professor of Management, and the Director of Strategic Initiatives at NYIT, Nanjing, China. His primary domain of expertise relates to various aspects of multinational corporate management and international business management. His research scope includes multinational knowledge mobilization and quantitative country case studies of organizational and executive support for creativity.

Jess Boronico, New York Institute of Technolgy

Dr. Jess Boronico holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves as the Dean of the College of Business at the School of Management at the New York Institute of Technology, and holds the rank of Professor. He is an active member of INFORMS and the Decisions Sciences Institute. He serves on the editorial board and is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous academic journals. He has published over thirty five manuscripts in peer-reviewed academic journals, including Production and Operations Management, Omega, and the European Journal of Operations Research.

Ahmed A. Maasher, IRAM Real Estate Development Co.

Ahmed A. Maasher earned his MBA from New York Institute of Technology, Bahrain. He is working as an Architect Engineer at a private Architecture firm in Geddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Published

2016-03-31

How to Cite

ElMelegy, A. R., Mohiuddin, Q., Boronico, J., & Maasher, A. A. (2016). Fostering Creativity in Creative Environments: An Empirical Study of Saudi Architectural Firms. Contemporary Management Research, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.14431

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Organization Behavior and Human Resource Management