Business Studies: CREATIVE THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING

• Discuss/Describe/Explain the advantages/benefits of creative thinking in the workplace.

• Explain how businesses can use creative thinking to generate entrepreneurial opportunities.

• Discuss how businesses can use creative thinking to solve business problems.

Introduction:

Businesses have to solve many problems as they confront the challenges of dynamic and complex business environments. Businesses need to find ways to break out from routine thinking in order to solve problems and make decisions.

Recently all businesses, locally and abroad, were confronted with the challenges that was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic This forced them to come up with new/innovative ideas to survive. Just consider how the restaurant industry, which is one of many, was adversely affected. As a result of the declaration of a state of disaster, restaurants could no longer open up their doors for patrons to come and sit down. Consequently, most of them have resorted to taking orders online and/or telephonically and then deliver to the clients.

Solving problems requires businesses to apply creative and critical thinking skills.

The key focus of this lesson will be on:

i) How Creative thinking can contribute towards successful and sustainable business practice. We will also be looking at ii) How Creative thinking can be used to generate entrepreneurial opportunities and solve business problems.

CONCEPTS AND SKILLS

• 1. Make sure that you know the key concept(s):

Creative thinking - The thought process that leads to original/novel/new ideas/new approaches. Use of non-conventional methods to solve problems. Breaking out of routine thinking.

Routine thinking - Sequence of actions or patterns of behaviour that is regularly followed or rehearsed.

Conventional solutions - Solutions based on what is generally done, believed or conformed to.

Non-conventional ideas - Solutions based on what is not generally done, believed or conformed to.

Problem solving - Alternative solutions are generated/ identified and critically evaluated. Analysing a situation to identify strategies to bring about change.

Decision making - Various alternatives are considered before choosing the best one. It is part of the problem solving cycle as decisions need to be made in each step.

Innovative - The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay.

Challenge/Threat - A problem/obstacle that can prevent you from achieving a goal.

Opportunity - A time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something

Business Opportunity - Is a business investment that allows the buyer to start a business.

• 2. Core Content: • Make sure that you know / understand and are able to apply the CORE CONTENT. Pay particular attention to the cognitive levels. The cognitive verbs serve as a guide for how to answer the questions.

• 3. Discuss how businesses can use creative thinking to solve business problems.

• 4. Elaborate on the meaning of problem solving.

• 5. Explain the differences between decision making and problem solving

• 6. Outline/Mention /Discuss/Explain/ the problem solving cycle.

Question 1

1.1.Complete the following statement by using the word(s) in the list below. Write only the word(s) next to the question number.

1.1.1 The …. process requires creative thinking skills to generate and evaluate alternative solutions. (2)

1.1.2 …. refers to the process in which various alternatives are considered before deciding on the (2) best one.

Question 2

2.1 Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follows:

American search engine company, Google, founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Google believes in hiring people who are naturally curious who like to learn. They allow employees to define their own work as much as possible. They create an environment which enable employees to feel psychologically safe to take risks and try new ideas. Allowing for employees to find partners and work together to solve problems, innovate and create.

2.1.1 Define creative thinking. (2)

2.1.2 Explain the advantages/benefits of creative thinking in the workplace for businesses like Google. (10)

2.1.3 Discuss ANY FOUR steps in the problem-solving-cycle that Google can follow to solve their problems. (12)

2.1.4 Explain how Google can use creative thinking to generate entrepreneurial opportunities. (6)

In Conclusion

• Constant changes in the market impact on business operations and so they need to adapt to it quickly and make quick/creative decisions.

• Creative thinking can help to solve business problems successfully.

• In part two of Creative thinking and Problem-solving the emphasis will be on the Problem-solving techniques businesses can use to solve many problems as they confront the challenges of dynamic and complex business environments.

• 2020 Grade 10 Business Studies Core Notes: Business Roles: Creative thinking and Problem-solving, Pages 3-6

• Via Afrika Business Studies Grade 11 Learner's Book

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