Scott G. Isaksen is a Professor II of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at the Norwegian Business School. He is also Founder of the Creative Problem Solving Group, Senior Fellow of its Creativity Research Unit and a former professor and director of SUNY's International Center for Studies in Creativity. He resides in the Buffalo area of New York in the US.
Scott has published over 200 books, articles, and chapters in books, and provided consultation and training on facilitative leadership, creativity, and innovation for over 450 organizations in 26 different countries around the world. Scott is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Product Development Management Association and has served as a consulting editor for the Journal of Creative Behavior since 1983.
Research areas
Creative Problem Solving Style assessment and implications (Person-Environment Fit).
Climate for Creativity and Innovation.
Impact of Creative Problem Solving Training.
Teaching areas
Human Resource Management (Bergen)Management of Creativity (Bergen).
Creativity in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations (Nydalen).
Publikasjoner
Isaksen, Scott G. (2023)
Developing Creative Potential: The Power of Process, People, and Place
This article was stimulated by a review of instruments assessing creative and innovative social environments seventeen years ago. This stands alone as the only published, comprehensive, comparative review of multiple instruments aimed at this conceptual space. Although this review provided an important contribution to the literature, there are a number of critical conceptual issues that should be considered when reviewing assessments of this kind. This article raises these issues and points out their relevance when developing, evaluating, or applying instruments – and applies these issues to the instruments included in the review. Further, the aim was also to provide updated information on the Situational Outlook Questionnaire, as there were a few potential misunderstandings contained within the Mathisen and Einarsen review. Finally, numerous criteria are offered for those creating or choosing to use measures of the work environment, climate, or culture that promotes organizational creativity and innovation.
Isaksen, Scott G. (2020)
Unleashing creative talent in organizations: Linking learning and creativity through creative problem solving
Mumford, Michael D. & Todd, E. Michelle (red.). Creativity and Innovation in Organizations
Lofquist, Eric & Isaksen, Scott G. (2019)
Cleared for Takeoff? A Snapshot of Context for Change in a High-Risk Industry
Civil aviation is a high-risk industry where actors are experiencing increasing focus on economic performance, greater international competition, and growing safety threats that require continual organizational adjustments. In this article, we present the findings of a case study conducted within the Norwegian national air traffic management organization—Avinor, in preparation for a major reorganization initiative. In this study, we mapped the aggregated readiness and positioning for organizational change in the three main air traffic control centers in Norway using a mixed-method approach to person–environment Fit to help organizational leaders better understand each unit’s positioning for change, and more specifically, individual preferences for change styles. The results suggest that participants at the different air traffic control centers had developed distinctly different change preferences at both the group and individual levels, and that each was distinctly different from the other units in their positioning and readiness for change.
Lofquist, Eric; Isaksen, Scott G. & Dahl, Tom Jarle (2018)
Something Fishy: Exploring Change, Job Engagement and Work Environment in the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries
This study investigated the personality facets that underpin the construct of problem solving style, particularly when approaching more creative kinds of problem solving. Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire and VIEW – An Assessment of Problem Solving Style were administered to 165 students from the Norwegian Business School. We explored relationships through correlational and regression analysis. Personality profiles were derived for each of VIEW’s three dimensions and were in generally expected directions. Those with an Explorer preference were more imaginative and idea-oriented, open to change, unconventional, freethinking and flexible than Developers. Those with a Developer preference were more practical and solution oriented, more traditional, rule conscious, conservative, and respecting of traditional ideas. Those with an External preference were more group oriented, affiliative, socially bold, warm, and attentive to others than those with an Internal preference. Those with a more Task oriented preference were more impersonal, detached, utilitarian, and tough minded than those with Person oriented preference. We outlined implications and suggestions for further research.
Isaksen, Scott G. (2013)
Managing for Innovation: An examination of a climate-centric model for organizational innovation and creativity.
Kindai Management Review, 1, s. 41- 58.
Isaksen, Scott G. & Aert, Wouter S. (2011)
Linking problem-solving style and creative organizational climate: An exploratory interactionist study
The International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving, 21(2), s. 7- 38. Doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9877-2_9
Isaksen, Scott G. & Akkermans, Hans J. (2011)
Creative Climate: A Leadership Lever For Innovation