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Influence of feedback and reward
on creative thinking
Inevitably, much of the feedback given in
corporate environments tends to be negative
in tone – identifying weaknesses and enforcing
accepted standards where they seem to
have been overlooked. However, repeated
negative feedback inhibits creative thinking
by placing recipients on the defensive and discouraging
them from suggesting or undertaking
tasks that challenge accepted ways of
doing things and make them vulnerable to
further criticism.
On the other hand, withholding negative
feedback where it threatens accepted norms
or corporate attitudes – often in the guise
of ‘not rocking the boat’ and ‘maintaining a
positive attitude’ – also promotes uncritical
conformity and perpetuates unthinking
adherence to the status quo.
Even positive feedback can discourage
creative endeavour if, for example, it measures
successful performance against the
performance of others (Amabile, 1983;
De Bono, 1989). This could act as a powerful
disincentive to ambitious individuals with a
record of past success because engaging in
creative initiatives and untried processes
could place their reputations at risk should
they not succeed. Likewise, if positive feedback
emphasizes and is focused exclusively
on successful outcomes, employees will be
disinclined to engage in creative thinking
activities that by their very nature may
produce uncertain or unpredictable results.
Furthermore, extrinsic rewards used as positive
feedback can also discourage creative
productivity, according to Teresa Amabile’s
intrinsic motivation hypothesis (1983). She
argues that the motivation to be creative
comes from the enjoyment to be gained from
engaging with the challenge of a task, from
the strong internal desire to do something
based on interests and passions, and from the
internal satisfaction when that challenge is
met. Follow-up studies further support the
value of intrinsic motivation by indicating
that, where external constraints exist, emphasizing
internal motivational factors can make
individuals more resistant to their negative
effects (Amabile and Gryskeiewicz, 1989;
Amabile, et al.,1994). Naturally, however,
where external factors actually serve to
build up internal motivation – clear goals,
for example, and recognition/rewards
that build confidence – they too serve to
heighten creative thinking capacity and
performance.
In order to encourage and stimulate
creative thinking, therefore, feedback within
corporate contexts would need to concentrate
on:
• providing opportunities for employees to
experiment and take risks, with failure
treated as a learning opportunity and
generating opportunities for improving
ability;
• increasing employees’ intrinsic motivation
by emphasizing the value of their work,
and making the work process rewarding in
itself;
• increasing employees’ confidence, raising
their consciousness of their value and of
their ability to make a difference;
• encouraging further feedback, with questions
and responses that elicit information
about motives, reasons, underlying
assumptions and that reinforce awareness
of the genuine value placed on reflection;
• encouraging and respecting minority
views, since these spark questioning
and encourage further independent
thinking.
© 2004 Sandra Oliver for editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters, the contributors