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Enhancing Knowledge Worker Creativity In Bureaucratic Organizations: A Grounded Theory Study, Jaime Macias

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Through a grounded theory qualitative study consisting of interviews, observations, and document reviews, this study examined a mid-sized military organization to answer two questions: (1) How does the military organizational design (i.e., bureaucracy) influence the creative process? and (2) How do leaders amplify (mitigate) the positive (negative) effects of bureaucracy on the creative process? The data suggest that the perceived tension between organizational hierarchy and creativity is mitigated by the immediate supervisor’s behavior and ability to navigate the bureaucratic landscape. This study added to the existing body of research on creativity in the workplace in two ways. First, the researcher …