University Course Reflection on Learnings: Business Creativity Skills

This reflective essay details a student's journey through a business creativity course, encompassing key concepts and practical applications. The essay begins with an exploration of creativity, its meaning, and its role in personal development, highlighting techniques like the six thinking hats and group activities. It then delves into the application of creativity in business, covering business model development, the Business Model Canvas, and the importance of understanding the business environment. The student reflects on activities such as analyzing business models, assessing market forces using tools like PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces, and learning about business model patterns. The essay also touches upon SWOT analysis, blue ocean strategy, and the integration of creativity and innovation in businesses, including the process of designing and redesigning business models. Through these reflections, the student identifies areas for future development, emphasizing the importance of customer involvement and the integration of various factors in business strategies.

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNINGS
REFLECTION ON LEARNINGS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Creativity can be defined as thinking out of the box and base upon the foundation of
learning, a certain way of perceiving and knowledge that directly contribute to the value
creation of offerings (Yashkova et al. 2016). Values can be created by the amalgamation of
innovation, empathy, creativity, and imagination (Moeran 2016). Problem-solving skills are
crucial for generating an effective response for a challenging situation (Van Aken and
Berends 2018). The combination of both skills can develop one’s personality and develop
various opportunities in the future. In the course, we have learned various conceptions and
themes, which have contributed to the development of significant skills that are required for
personal development and in enacting relevant opportunities.
Creativity
In the course, the implication of creativity learnings and theories has played a major
role in my personal development. From the course, we have learned about the meaning and
conception of creativity, which involves both cognition and personality. The learnings on
creativity constructed the understanding of the brain activities during thinking or enacting
creatively. For thinking creatively or incorporating creativity in action or practice, I have
learned that we to follow a sequential process including the steps such as the generation of
awareness and knowledge, incubation process, generation of ideas and evaluation with
execution based followed by making amendments based on the acquired feedbacks. From the
learnings about creativity, I have learned that there are three techniques of creativity such as
provocation, divergence and convergence.
These three forms of creative thinking were explained by the activity of six thinking
hats, including a white, red, black, green, yellow and red hat. We were asked to participate in
an activity by forming a group of 6 with the allotted color of the hat. Our task was to hold a
position based on the six hats, where each of us will have to depict different opinions. The

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black hat was for judgment and evaluation, yellow was for optimistic view for the theme, red
hat was for connecting emotions, the green hat was for demonstrating newer ways of thinking
and new ideas, white hat only focussed on rational ideas and facts and lastly the blue hat was
responsible for the processes control. I was the green hat that enabled my thinking to
incorporate creativity and innovation. However, in this activity, I lacked the understanding of
approaching towards a goal with a group approach, which was compensated by a class task.
The task required us to demonstrate group work in effectively generating a welfare
experience idea for the space of the empty building. I learned the way of expressing ideas in a
group by paying attention to each input and we collaboratively derived a creative idea for a
hobby center.
Creativity in business
After learning about various techniques and forms of establishing creativity in
businesses, in the next lesson and activity, I learned about the techniques of incorporating
creative thinking in business strategies. Creativity accompanies entrepreneurship in
approaching the unmet opportunities. Creativity and innovation are some of the factors that
contribute to the role of entrepreneurs. This lesson extended my understanding of learning
about the process of constructing a competitive advantage in businesses. An entrepreneur
learns the ability to be creative, which helps in identifying and/or recognizing the
opportunities in the market by the processes of invention and innovation. An effective idea
can be in synch of the strategy of new product development, diversification or business
improvement. From the course, I have learned about the processes involved in generating
business models, such as customer insights, ideation, visual thinking, prototyping,
storytelling and responding to scenarios. The exercise associated with the learnings from the
creativity course helped me to execute our understanding of the practical activity. This task
was an individual activity, which tested my skills developed until now. In this activity, I was
developing a creative idea that needs to respond to a recurring problem. The steps followed in

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this activity were as followed, identification of problems, thinking of an idea that responded
constructively at the customer’s demand and to ensure the value creation benefits to the target
audience. The activity also challenged my understanding of assessing the feasibility and
viability of the generated solution.
This activity allowed me to test my creative thinking skills for the generation of an
idea to the identified problem. I also generate problem-solving skills with existing and
sourced resources. The solution generation process was not the last step; the activity
challenged my skills of management as I practiced the process of analyzing the feasibility of
the generated solution for the problematic scenario.
Business Model Canvas
In this lesson, I learned about the meaning and process of constructing a business
model, which is demonstrated by the tool of the business model canvas. A business model
transforms a business idea with the motive of generating financial and reputational values.
The business model canvas allowed me to generate an understanding of how the individual
component associated with a business collaborates in a similar platform for assigning values
to an unrecognized market opportunity. I learned about the intricacies of conducting business.
One of the exercises enabled my understanding of the assessment of business models.
We were assigned the role of a business consultant or an employee working in an
organization. This activity constructed my understanding of assessing each component of a
business canvas, customers, infrastructure, offer and financial viability. Next activity in the
context of business canvas model, I participated in the activity that allowed me to learn about
the significance and role of each building block of the canvas such as key partners, value,
resources, the relationship with the customers and assessing different customer values for
framing the offerings and channel decision. Assessment of the business canvas model of the
reputable company Coca-Cola enabled my knowledge of understanding organizational

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activities and functions. I identified the concern of increasing competition for Coca-Cola, for
which the company needs to derive diversification strategy from the collaborative of
significant partners.
Creative exercise on assessing the business model
The course organized several activities that enabled my practical application of the
skills and expertise that were developing with each course theme. The assessment of business
models involved the techniques of ideation, such as developing insights, ideation, visual
thinking, prototyping, scenario building and storytelling. Each of these steps developed a
different set of skills such as visualization, problem-solving skills and management skills.
These skills engraved confidence and a step towards career opportunities. However, the
assessment did not help in learning about consumer involvement in any of the steps. For
further improvement in my skills, I would focus on the customers’ contribution to the whole
process of forming a business model.
Business environment
This session was one of the most crucial learning for establishing a direct connection
between marketing management knowledge and practical activities. The prior experiences
derived from the sessions about creativity and business model helped in constructing a base
for the understanding of analysis of the business environment. My knowledge about starting a
business is limited to sourcing resources and establishing an infrastructural facility. However,
from the learning, it was clear that a huge assessment framework is undergone before
establishing a business idea. An innovative business model demands the focus on
investigating the trends in regions, market forces, the external environmental forces and
industry forces. I learned about the tools or framework, which directly contributes to the
assessment of external environmental analysis such as PESTEL and Porter’s Five Force

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Analysis and how these frameworks contribute to the assessment of market and industry
suitability.
From implying the learnings and developing teamwork, various groups were formed
for facilitating an industry and market analysis. I learned the skill of influencing other
members of the group and analytical skills. I came forward and delegated various
environmental and industry forces to each member for clarity and effective results. In this
activity, I lacked the knowledge of aligning the company’s core activities and objectives with
each of the forces. As a group, we were successful in investigating the forces and the
influential factors that can generate marketing and operational strategies. It was a learning
experience by participating in these practical exercises but I will stress more on the
integration of these factors and forces in the business strategies for the next activity.
Business Model Patterns
In the further development of knowledge about creativity in business, I came across
the session where I learned about the different forms of business model patterns such as
unbundling, FREE, the long tail, multi-sided platform, over time new patterns and open
models. My lack of understanding and connection with the customers’ involvement in the
business models was responded by this session, where there was a lesson related to customer
relationship management, which can be accomplished by considering aspects such as
economics, which determine the cost of acquisition, competition and culture.
In this session, the group activity was challenging as it asked the participants to
enlighten the competitiveness of the businesses based on certain business model patters. My
group selected a business model type that can help contribute more to our collaborative skills,
other than the group work. Through this model, I learned about the collaborative approach of
business for improving the value proposition. The start-up we selected lacked resources for
diversifying or expanding into new resources, but with the open business model pattern, the

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start-up can collaborate with other start-ups or suppliers to integrate their resources with its
own expertise. In this session, my group and I were able to locate a business model design
form for the start-up but I lacked the understanding of implementing a redesign process with
the alignment of all the business functions with the organizational change management
process.
Business Model Design Process
Creativity and Innovation in the business model allow the action of satisfying the
needs and demands of unanswered market opportunities. I have learned about the process of
designing a business model with the significance of designing or redesigning a business
model. Creativity and innovation allow a business to incorporate newer technological
implementations for framing a distinctive competitive advantage (Acar, Tarakci and van
Knippenberg 2019). These approaches also help in disrupting or transforming the existing
offerings in a business model. However, there can also be several challenges including
executing with complete adoption of a newer model and responding to uncertainties. From
this course, I was able to learn about the phases of business model design, which can directly
contribute to my expertise in incorporating strategies and changes under certain
organizational guidelines. The phases are mobilized, understand, design, implement and
manage.
The learnings from this session allowed me to develop a comprehensive
understanding of the market, external and internal forces, and the significant players. This
learning will also contribute my skill in designing a business model prototype. This skill will
generate value for my future career opportunities. This session was accompanied by a case
study analysis group activity, which directly developed my chance of responding to the
marketer opportunities. In this session, I lacked the skill of interpretation, which was reflected
in the use of external environmental forces data before shaping the prototype.

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Integrating creativity and innovation in businesses
The existing business models can be assessed by the framework of internal
environmental analysis, SWOT. The SWOT analysis allows an organization to identifies the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so that a business can reduce the risks,
address the gaps through addressing the potential market opportunities with the help of the
identified strengths (Gürel and Tat 2017). The opportunities and threats specifically can be
determined by the knowledge of assessing external environmental forces. I have also learned
about the blue ocean strategy and the value innovation strategy; these strategies help in
assessing the growth of a business through the lens of creativity and innovation.
From this course, another significant learning was about the Galbraith’s Star Model
that helped in the framing of strategy, structure, and distributing responsibilities to functional
departments. The Star Model helps in redesigning the structure and processes of a business
model in case of the requirement of business improvements.
Conclusion
The learnings from the course helped me understand the significance and application
of innovation and creativity for an organization. Learning about the role of creativity in
business models and programs helped with the development of creative skills. An individual
and especially group activities at the end of every session ensured the practical application of
the learnings. The course shaped my problem-solving skills when I actively participated in
group activities for addressing a gap or need for business improvement with the association
of innovative and assessment models. The knowledge and learnings derived from the course
were worth integrating into the expertise list for future opportunities. However, I still need to
work on the quality or skill of building customer relationships through effective interaction
and recognition for unmet and unrecognized needs as it will respond to the intricacies of my
performance as a future business manager or entrepreneur.

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References:
Acar, O.A., Tarakci, M. and van Knippenberg, D., 2019. Creativity and innovation under
constraints: A cross-disciplinary integrative review. Journal of Management, 45(1), pp.96-
121.
Gürel, E. and Tat, M., 2017. SWOT analysis: a theoretical review. Journal of International
Social Research, 10(51).
Moeran, B., 2016. The business of creativity: Toward an anthropology of worth. Routledge.
Van Aken, J.E. and Berends, H., 2018. Problem solving in organizations. Cambridge
university press.
Yashkova, E.V., Sineva, N.L., Shkunova, A.A., Bystrova, N.V., Smirnova, Z.V. and
Kolosova, T.V., 2016. Development of Innovative Business Model of Modern Manager's
Qualities. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11(11), pp.4650-
4659.