Competence integration in creative processes

Research on creativity focuses extensively on it as a personal skill or discusses how an organization can contribute to a creative environment for its staff. Rather than referring to the organization as the environment, this paper concerns interorganizational and intraorganizational interaction between different creative individuals who together shape the creative process and output. Specifically, the paper focuses on the integration of new competences into present structures, thereby emphasizing competences in use in creative processes. Two case studies from the advertising sector illustrate the integration of competences obtained through interorganizational interaction and the hiring/development of staff. The paper concludes that the integration of new competence is path dependent. As a new competence is added, the creative process becomes increasingly complex and marked by representation rather than participation in creative processes. An overlap between competences is necessary if they are to add to the output. This paper contributes to research on creativity at interorganizational and intraorganizational levels through exploring differences between competences per se and competences in use in regard to the integration of competence in creative processes. It also contributes to research on advertising through its depiction of competence integration among advertising agencies.

► The paper describes and discusses how the integration of new competence affects the creative processes of firms.
► The creative process is referred to as interactional and mutually impacted by present and new competences.
► Case studies from the advertising sector illustrate competence integration through internal development and collaboration.
► New competences make the creative process complex and marked by representation rather than participation.
► The paper draws attention to the difference between competences per se and competences in use.