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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.

The Situational Outlook Questionnaire has been in use for many years as an assessment of the climate that supports change, innovation, and creativity. This study reports the descriptive statistics, internal consistency, factor structure, and other psychometric results from a sample of 4,730 respondents. Further areas for improvement of the questionnaire and assessment approach are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports insights for organizational leaders based on a series of case studies describing the use of the Situational Outlook Questionnaire as a tool to assist them with their transformation efforts. Leaders often assert the need to change their organizational cultures. This article seeks to clarify and differentiate culture from climate, and then focus on what leaders can do to transform their climate by applying a deliberate assessment tool. As the case studies illustrate, making organizational transformation happen is best approached through a systemic or ecological approach. This approach includes considering the people involved, the methods deployed, the desired outcome of the change as well as the context within which the transformation occurs. The broadest concept within this framework is context, which includes both culture and climate, among other things. Since context is key to initiating and sustaining transformation, emphasis on the leader's role in climate creation will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of 2 studies conducted to examine the ability of the Situational Outlook Questionnaire(tm) (SOQ) to effectively discern climates that either encourage or discourage creativity and the ability to initiate change. The purpose of the studies is to examine the concurrent criterion-related validity of the SOQ. The climate for creativity and change is defined, and the context for the use of the measure in organizational settings is established through the development of a model for organizational change. The article presents the history of the SOQ's development and gives a description of the SOQ. The methodology and results of both studies, including 3 groups, are reported. The results of both studies show that when individuals complete the SOQ based on their recollection of a best- and worst-case work experience, the measure is able to consistently and significantly discriminate between the 2 types of experiences. Conclusions, implications, and areas for future research to further examine the validity of the SOQ are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the foundations of a multidimensional measure designed to assess creativity and change. How the reliability and construct validity of the Situational Outlook Questionnaire was tested; Cronbach alpha and exploratory factor analysis; Areas where the Situational Outlook Questionnaire can be improved.