Reflection on Business Creativity

This reflective journal is based on writing a reflection of my personal development which involves an understanding of creativity as well as problem solving skills acquired from the workshops, lectures and team work.

Running Head: REFLECTION ON BUSINESS CREATIVITY
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Reflection
Reflection: Business Creativity
(Student Details :)
2/18/2019

Reflection on Business Creativity 1
Contents
Reflection: Business Creativity..................................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Journal over nine topics/sessions...............................................................................................2
Topic 1: Introducing Business Creativity..............................................................................2
Topic 2: Developing Creativity and the Business Idea..........................................................3
Topic 3: The Business Model Canvas (BMC) – Part 1..........................................................3
Topic 4: The Business Model Canvas (BMC) – Part 2..........................................................3
Topic 5: Strategy-Creativity in Business Start-ups................................................................4
Topic 6: Strategy: Creativity in Present Businesses..............................................................4
Topic 7: Reinterpreting Strategy from Business Model Lens (BML)...................................5
Topic 8: Business Model Design Process..............................................................................5
Topic 9: Implement and Manage Creativity..........................................................................6
Reflection on your creativity and innovation skills...................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................7

Reflection on Business Creativity 2
Reflection: Business Creativity
Introduction
This reflective journal is based on writing a reflection of my personal development which
involves an understanding of creativity as well as problem solving skills acquired from the
workshops, lectures and team work (Heyrup & Bente, 2009). To develop the reflective log, I
will explain as well as reflect upon the workshop activities of each topic along with the
effectiveness of the team and my role in the team. Furthermore, I will identify main areas
include problem solving skills, leadership skills, management skills, influencing skills,
organisation skills which I want to develop for my future personal development.
Journal over nine topics/sessions
In this journal, I will create nine personal logs written for each topic or session which was
conducted in the workshop. It will also contain a reflection of all the activities done during
studying each topic in workshop module.
Topic 1: Introducing Business Creativity
During this session, I learnt the basics about business creativity as to prepare for this session;
I researched over the real meaning of creativity and its prominence in business sector. While
undertaking the topic, the tutor has defined and illustrated the meaning of creativity in
general. He also asked all of us about our assumptions or knowledge regarding the same to
create an interactive session. Hence, i learnt how to have a creative thinking through
understanding the creative process during the workshop. Besides, I felt that I am also a
creative person when I applied creative techniques during an activity of this session. for an
instance, when tutor gave us an exercise of identifying theories as well as techniques for
generating new ideas in business then me and my group organized this task effectively with
collaboration and team-harmony. In this way, after finishing the study over this topic I was
able to define creativity; effectively understand the creative process; recognize theories and
techniques of generating novel ideas as well as apply creative techniques in business (Kaplan
& Warren, 2009).

Reflection on Business Creativity 3
Topic 2: Developing Creativity and the Business Idea
To prepare for this session, from (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010) I read about the connectivity
amid entrepreneurship and creativity so that I can get the concepts effectively in class.
Although I understood the relationship amid creativity and entrepreneurship during the
workshop only yet my preparation assisted me while understanding how creative thinking is
related with the innovation. I learnt to identify techniques for thinking creatively while doing
business. In my team I demonstrated creative thinking during an activity of developing
creativity in business ideas. In this way, after finishing the session over the topic 2, I was able
to clearly understand the strong relationship of creativity and entrepreneurship (Hojnik &
Ruzzier, 2016). I felt that any new business idea can survive as well as success in market if it
is based on creativity and innovation. In addition, I can now describe how creative thinking is
related to innovation.
Topic 3: The Business Model Canvas (BMC) – Part 1
Before attending this session on topic business model canvas, I try to get basic info and
understanding about how to model a business canvas. I read that (Osterwalder & Pigneur,
2010), a business model canvas is a way to develop new or existing business model for the
strategic management. Besides, it is a pictorial chart with the elements describing the
organization or product's value proposition, customers, infrastructure and finances. I learnt
that the concept of business model in order to understand the main components of business
models. I felt that analysing business models through the Business Model Canvas is an
important practice to grow the firm’s business from the innovation point of view. The best
part was that I learnt a business development tool which is useful for my future career and
professional development (Kaplan & Warren, 2009). Finally, post studying this workshop I
was able to design newly innovative business models by using the Business Model Canvas
tool easily.
Topic 4: The Business Model Canvas (BMC) – Part 2
Before going to study this second session on business model canvas, I studied and analysed
so many examples of business models so that my learning can be extended. During the
workshop, I learnt about nine major building blocks of the business model canvas. This was
the second session on business model canvas hence tutor explained that these blocks are
inter-linked with the 4 major business areas. I realized that BMC breaks any business
model down into segments such as key partners, key resources, key activities, value

Reflection on Business Creativity 4
propositions, channels, customer relationships, customer segments, revenue streams as well
as cost structure (Nieves & Segarra Cipres, 2015). In addition, I felt that BMCs help in
communicating with clients about why the big business tycoons should do business with us.
In this way, after this session, I was able to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the 9 key
building blocks of the BMC (Zott et al., 2011).
Topic 5: Strategy-Creativity in Business Start-ups
In order to get prepared for this particular session, I researched about recent and famous start-
us which have utilised creativity to grow their business opportunities in the relevant sectors. I
also read about creativity being a business strategy at Apple Inc. I learnt a lot about business
model environment and its major areas. While doing activities over business strategies during
this module (De Bono, 1995), I felt that impacts of business model environments on strategy
can easily be explained through identifiable factors within the economic, cultural,
demographic, technological, physical or political environment. These factors impact the
operations, growth and survival of any organization. Business environments can be internal
or external. Hence, after finishing the study of this topic I was able to identify the 4 key areas
of the business model environment as well as design innovative business-models for the start-
ups based on numerous drivers and constraints in the business environment (Zott & Amit,
2010).
Topic 6: Strategy: Creativity in Present Businesses
In this session of the workshop module, I learnt about the second strategy of creativity in
business models which is about introducing creativity in already existing businesses. I learnt
that existing businesses sometimes lose their effectiveness and usability while they become
obsolete for the present scenario. Hence, while learning creativity in business models (Dul et
al., 2011) I felt that each and every business needs to be renovated at some point of time and
it is called creativity in existing businesses. For understanding above, I and my team tried to
identify the 5 major business model patterns to define these business model patterns.
Furthermore, based on (Pteronzio, 2017), I explored about how these 5 business model
patterns are built to demonstrate an understanding of these 5 business model patterns related
to an available business.

Reflection on Business Creativity 5
Source: (Thomke & Feinberg, 2012)
Topic 7: Reinterpreting Strategy from Business Model Lens (BML)
In this session, as a preparation I studied about BML and its usefulness in any business
model. During the workshop classes, I learnt that a Business Model Innovation (BMI)
strategy is all about an effective execution of that business. Based on (Jun & Sung Park,
2013), I felt that in present’s fast pace and continuously changing world the strategy of
reinterpreting business through BML is an imperative action. I learnt that due to poor and
ineffective execution of business models most of the well- intentioned as well as planned
strategies fail. In this way, after completing the workshop session of this topic I was able to
identify all creativity elements and modifications within the business models of the
organisations (Zott et al., 2011). I could also easily understand the challenges as well as
opportunities of a business model which allow me to demonstrate creative thinking as an
individual as well as in team by an analysis of the barriers, challenges and opportunities for
any case study business.
Topic 8: Business Model Design Process
With the help of this business creativity workshop session, I learnt to identify the drivers as
well as constraints faced by the business in provided case study. In addition, based on
(Bassos, 2016), I understood the key elements required for the business model design
procedures. I felt that this module helped me in getting the comprehensive detailed idea about
a business model designing process. I realized that without this particular topic or session, all
knowledge gathered in the previous sessions is incomplete and aimless as this is the step
which is integrating all knowledge together to build business model designing procedure.

Reflection on Business Creativity 6
Hence, after studying this topic I was able to demonstrate an understanding as well as
knowledge of the application of creativity and innovation in an identified business sector
(Dul et al., 2011).
Topic 9: Implement and Manage Creativity
This was the finishing topic of the business creativity workshop module as after learning the
concept of creativity in business, I learnt implementation along with the management process
of business creativity in this session. I learnt what is SWOT analysis and for what purpose it
is used in BMI. Hence, with the use of SWOT analysis I and my team analysed the activity
and module of BMI from the strength, weakness, opportunity as well as threats point of view.
Therefore, after studying this topic of implementation and management of creativity I am
now able to understand the effective use of SWOT analysis to innovate business models. I
also explored how the Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) assists BMI. In this way, after studying
this module I am able to demonstrate creative and original responses to recognized business
problems (Zott & Amit, 2010).
Reflection on your creativity and innovation skills
Based on learning acquired from the business creativity module, I want to communicate that
there is no single business model which can make business grow but there are a lot of
opportunities as well as options which we should discover with the help of our creativity,
problem-solving skills and critical thinking application. After attending these sessions I
realized that each and every student, scholar and learner owns a problem-solving mind which
needs to be identified through interactive and critical-thinking based activities. While I was
learning this module of business creativity during a team-meeting my group was searching a
start-up idea on which we could start our research of creativity and innovation. Hence, I gave
the idea of start-up to my team which they liked a lot and appreciated me like good team-
mates to promote team-learning in our group. Additionally, during this whole module I
realized that real-time learning and observation creates and evolves creativity in ourselves
because information which we get on the daily basis from countless areas and incidences get
accumulated as well as integrated with our critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It
means that our skills are based on info we acquire from the surrounding environment and
when we integrate all of them together then innovation happens (Zahra & Nambisan, 2012).
One example of innovation in business is the Apple Inc. I would like to mention my learning
from this module with the help of above quoted example of the Apple Company. My

Reflection on Business Creativity 7
observation regarding creativity and innovation skills depicting that creativity and innovation
can re-integrate any existing business model with the help of BML. Based on (Hickson,
2011), I considers that through re-innovating any existing business model we can optimize
products and services from the both company as well as customer point of view. Moreover, I
learnt that problem solving skills, management skills, leadership skills, influencing skills,
organisation skills are those essential parts of skill set which can bring revolution in any
person’s life when combining together. In addition, as per my views based on (Burns, 2016),
these above mentioned skills are equally important for an organization as well as employees
working in that organization. Hence, I realized that from business creativity module, I learnt
how to work in a team effectively and how to maintain harmony in critical situations through
problem-solving skills. In this way, the workshop, classes, activities as well as learning from
business creativity allowed me to identify many areas for my personal and career
development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I found that reflective-writing on my creativity and innovation skills acquired
as well as used while undertaking this module based on lectures, workshops, online forums
and group or individual learning provided me an exclusive way to develop my future career
as well as personality. I learnt the usage of creativity and innovation in making any business
model successful. I also learnt team-based working while doing any project which is
supposed to be completed within the deadlines. In this way, I learnt how to integrate
innovation as well as creative mind with the business model strategies in order to gain growth
opportunities of present and future for any business.
References
Bassos, B., 2016. What is reflective practice? In The reflective practice guide: An
interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection. Oxon: Routledge.
Burns, P., 2016. Entrepreneurship and small business. UK: Palgrave Macmillan Limited.
De Bono, E., 1995. Serious creativity. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 18(5), p.12.
Dul, J., Ceylan, C. & Jaspers, F., 2011. Knowledge workers’ creativity and the role of the
physical work environment. Human Resource Management, 50(6), pp.715-34.

Reflection on Business Creativity 8
Heyrup, S. & Bente, E.B., 2009. Reflection: Taking it beyond the individual. New York:
Routldge.
Hickson, H., 2011. Critical reflection: Reflecting on learning to be reflective. Reflective
Practice, 12(6), pp.829-39.
Hojnik, J. & Ruzzier, M., 2016. What drives eco-innovation? A review of an emerging
literature. Environmental Innovation and societal transitions, 19, pp.31-41.
Jun, S. & Sung Park, S., 2013. Examining technological innovation of Apple using patent
analysis. Industrial Managment & Data Systems, 113(6), pp.890-907.
Kaplan, J.M. & Warren, A.C., 2009. Patterns of entrepreneurship management. UK: John
Wiley & Sons.
Nieves, J. & Segarra Cipres, M., 2015. Management innovation in the hotel industry. Tourism
Management, 46, pp.51-58.
Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y., 2010. Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries,
game changers, and challengers. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Pteronzio, M., 2017. Here are the 2017 innovations that changed the world. [Online]
Available at:
https://mashable.com/2017/12/23/social-good-innovations-2017/#UvM52fGeMmqp
[Accessed 16 January 2019].
Thomke, S.H. & Feinberg, B., 2012. Design thinking and innovation at Apple. Cambridge:
Prseident and Fellows of Harvard College.
Zahra, S.A. & Nambisan, S., 2012. Entrepreneurship and strategic thinking in business
ecosystems. Business horizons, 55(3), pp.219-29.
Zott, C. & Amit, R., 2010. Business model design: an activity system perspective. Long
range planning, 43(2-3), pp.216-26.
Zott, C., Amit, R. & Massa, L., 2011. The business model: recent developments and future
research. Journal of management, 37(4), pp.1019-42.

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