Human resource development practices supporting creativity in Finnish growth organizations

Abstract

Creativity can be enhanced through appropriate Human Resource Development (HRD) practices that support employees’ learning and competence development. The aim of this study is to increase our understanding of HRD practices that enhance creativity in Finnish growth companies. To achieve this aim, we searched for creativity requirements based on employees’ experiences expressed in interviews, and we studied HRD practices used in organizations that respond to the requirements of creativity. We gathered 98 interviews from personnel in technology, industrial and artistic design organizations and utilized them for a theory‐driven content analysis to identify the variety of requirements for creativity. We found that various HRD practices aligned with the requirements of creativity, including job design, teamwork, career development and everyday supervision and leadership. Thus, our findings indicate that HRD plays an important role in increasing creativity in the workplace and that it can best support creativity by taking the form of shared responsibilities in teams, clear career paths and everyday fair leadership.