The Creative Imperative Model: A Four‐Quadrant Approach to the Categorization of Industries and Firms by Types of Creativity Demanded

Organizational creativity, in the model that follows, is subcategorized according to the type of creativity demanded by the industry in which a firm competes. Industries that demand the constant creation of new products are referred to as creativity‐centered while others, which benefit from creative refinements to current services, are referred to as creativity‐enhanced. Creativity is further subcategorized according to whether a given industry or market demands aesthetic or technological creativity. The two dimensions are combined in a four‐quadrant model yielding four types of firms described as Technical Artists, Artists, Inventors, and, more broadly, Distributors and Adaptors. Implications for organizational structure and inter‐organizational relationships are then discussed.