**2.6 Relationships between creativity, innovation, and quality management in psychological terms**

Technology, business, social systems, economic development, and policy formulation are just a few of the contexts in which creativity, innovation, and quality management have been explored. As a result, there are many different ways to conceptualize creativity, innovation, and quality management, including the psychological approach.

The study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, such as feelings and thoughts, is included in psychology's scope as a discipline that examines the brain and human behavior. As a whole, psychology is a significant academic discipline with a broad scope that blurs the lines between the humanities and the natural sciences. While social scientists seek to comprehend the behavior and attitudes of individuals and their groups in specific situations, psychologists seek to comprehend the properties of the brain by relating the activity of the brain and its properties to neuroscience, in their daily lives and aspects of organizational life [45, 46].

In addition to health-related techniques, psychological knowledge is used to comprehend and resolve issues in a variety of human endeavors, including industrial and organizational settings [47].

I/O psychology is the study of, and application of, psychological theories and principles to the working environments of organizations [48]. Initially known as economic psychology or business psychology, industrial psychology, employment psychology, or psychotechnology [49], and emerging as I/O psychology between 1960 and 1970, industrialists applied the young field of I/O psychology to the study of scientific management techniques for enhancing workplace efficiency.

It became a part of Division 14 of the American Psychological Association's Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in 1973 [49]. The goal of this profession is to improve how people behave in work environments and procedures. Personnel psychology is one of I/O psychology's subfields. To recruit and assess employees, personnel psychologists specifically attempt to use psychological methodologies and concepts. Another branch of psychology is called organizational psychology, which looks at how the workplace and various management philosophies affect workers' productivity, job satisfaction, and motivation [50].

#### *A Worldwide Regression Analysis of Relations between Creativity, Innovation, and Quality… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111744*

I/O psychology studies are currently concentrating on creativity, innovation, and quality management as well. The activities and studies related to this field (human engineering psychologists) are practically connected to the problemsolving and decision-making approach, such as how to organize work, choose workers, design machines that are easy for people to use, create and innovate new products/services or improve existing ones, and apply the updated standards, procedures, processes, and good practices aimed at competitive advantage achievement.

In fields as diverse as technology, health, and tourism, innovation is acknowledged as the cornerstone of development and wealth [51].

The discipline of psychology, which studies every aspect of human experience, has a favorable impact on creativity, innovation, and crisis management.

Information on the psychology of innovation discusses the traits of innovators and creative solutions to everyday issues that are grounded in psychological science. The promotion of innovative workplaces highlights the significance of setting expectations, defining metrics, and fostering a positive work environment for employees [52]. Other methods focus on how creativity and innovation interact within larger sociocultural contexts [53].

Some studies claim that to innovate, people must alter their behavior; therefore, in addition to qualities like creativity, it is also necessary to be able to encourage behavior change [54].

Understanding the distinction between original thought and actual innovation thought that is helpful, implementable, and likely to have a significant impact on the field—is necessary if companies are to be vibrant, innovative, and productive [55].

The most intriguing definition of innovation is thinking differently [56]. People with creative skills engage in more diverse thinking, and they can produce thoughts and reactions that are different from those of ordinary people [57]. They think differently than other people do, and they approach problems differently as a result. They have the capacity for unusual thought and the ability to initiate dialog, promote debate, and present options that may not have previously been considered. Nowadays, according to many psychologists, an action must possess at least two qualities to be considered truly innovative.

It ought to be special and practical. An idea needs to be practical, solve issues, and benefit people in some way to be considered creative [58]. The application of creativity by the organization's staff is essential to developing an innovative culture. By using the adage "If you throw anything at a wall, you can better determine what goes on that wall," many ideas can be produced.

However, truly innovative solutions can bring a more accurate definition and redefinition of problems in the organization and/or open a completely new way of looking at its solution. Creativity can bring solutions to problems carried over and newly born in the organization by offering clear solutions and reconsidering the ways of doing business [59].

This means that the solutions that are ultimately found may not be what was initially regarded to be the best course of action. Innovative and creative ideas have the power to transform an organization and fundamentally alter the way that individuals and teams approach problems, look for answers, and reach choices. First, according to this perspective, effectiveness and efficiency are key components in the concept of innovation and the capacity for productivity.

It can inspire creativity in even the wise in a period of increased output. Simply challenging people to think creatively can boost their enthusiasm and encourage them to engage in innovative work. It has been observed that the existence of an innovative approach in an organization causes other individuals who have not previously engaged in innovation to rethink how they view issues and potential solutions, uncovering new approaches, resources, and possibilities. According to this perspective, in a workplace where innovation is present, employees contribute more ideas, many of which are unique and useful.

Divergent thinking can be learned through close contact with people who possess creativity and invention, according to some studies, which also suggests that creativity and innovation might be "contagious." [60].

In general, creativity is a part of innovation but cannot be confused with it because innovation has to do with creative ideas to bring certain and obvious improvements to particular products and services where innovation is necessary due to market need. Innovation typically starts with creative thought, and in this sense, creativity—whether it be individual or collective—brings innovation. Innovation is a prerequisite for creativity, but it is not a sufficient condition [61].

It takes more than just having an idea, coming up with one, or coming up with original ideas for innovation to occur. Knowledge is put to use to bring about changes through novel, distinctive methods, resulting in the introduction of new goods and services to the market for consumers. The fact that innovation, like many administrative and entrepreneurial responsibilities, necessitates particular methods, procedures, norms, record-keeping, and discipline is one of the most crucial facets of this topic [13].

With this strategy, the emphasis is now on the existence and ongoing development of processes, procedures, regulations, and record-keeping for the development and application of skills, knowledge, and competencies, which lead to significant positive organizational changes, to achieve, maintain, and manage improved products and services, and to improve in the near, medium, and distant future, as an added value of the organization's activity, which is essentially the organization's business.

Through these various perspectives, creativity is typically seen as the foundation for innovation, and innovation is the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization [61]. However, to be competitive, organizations must use quality management principles and standardize their processes and procedures, and the goods and services they provide [37].

Researchers have now succeeded in defining several innovation types:


The improvement of quality, the opening of new markets, the expansion of the variety of goods and services, the reduction of business costs, the improvement of processes, procedures, regulations, and record keeping, the reduction of the use of materials, energy, and water in technological processes, environmental protection, and compliance with laws and bylaws all seem to be related to investments in innovation today. All of these objectives are guided by the concept of continuous improvement, which is one of the core tenets of quality management.

Aspects of personality theory suggest that human personality is made up of five broad dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Some personality traits are also linked to creativity, innovation, and quality management.

Each of these factors constitutes a segment where the person may receive a high, low, or indifferent rating for each component. Being open to new experiences is a crucial skill that is closely linked to flexibility, creativity, and quality management.

Having said that, those who exhibit this trait more strongly are more receptive to novel situations and concepts. However, other personality traits have a significant part in creativity, innovation, and business management. They tend to strive for innovation and find fulfillment in the fact that they try new things, meet new people, view problems from other angles than those they have previously encountered, and so on.

Intrinsic drive, curiosity, and perseverance, for instance, can all influence how much people are inclined to investigate unique concepts and look for inventive solutions while using established standards, procedures, and processes.

TQM may be explained by nine essential psychological processes, including identification, equity, equality, consensus, instrumentality, rationality, development, group dynamics, and internalization, according to many studies [62].

Total Quality Management is used by around 75% of Fortune 1000 organizations, according to research. The survey results indicate that 87% of respondents believe they have had a favorable experience with total quality management. In these situations, TQM is related to improving the financial condition, relationships with employees and among themselves, product and service quality, customer satisfaction levels, and so on. It was determined through research of 54 companies that use total quality management that their performance was better than that of groups of comparable organizations that do not use total quality management.

Companies that use these programs are more admired are seen as being more inventive, and have higher management quality ratings than other companies [63].

The qualities of innovation, creativity, and quality management are shown below (**Table 1**) along with their relationships.


#### **Table 1.**

*Relations between innovation, creativity, and quality management [64, 65].*
