97-023

ENTREPRENEURIAL CREATIVITY THROUGH MOTIVATIONAL SYNERGY

Teresa Amabile

This paper defines and describes entrepreneurial creativity, which is the generation and implementation of novel, appropriate ideas to establish a new venture. Entrepreneurial creativity can be exhibited in established organizations as well as in start-up firms. The central thesis of this paper is that entrepreneurial creativity requires a combination of intrinsic motivation and certain kinds of extrinsic motivation - a motivational synergy that results when strong levels of personal interest and involvement are combined with the promise of rewards that confirm competence, support skill development, and enable future achievement.

EM
31 pages
Complete Text (Acrobat PDF Version) [HBS Only]

| Back to 1996-1997 Working Papers | Copyright © President and Fellows of Harvard College