Are Creativity and Standardization Mutually Exclusive?

Abstract

Fully displaying creativity is indispensable not only for developing new product and technology but also for managing any business for market growth and profitability. Work standardization, on the other hand, is stressed in the ISO 9000 Series Standards to assure product quality. Thus both elements are indispensable for corporate management. However, they are often thought to be mutually exclusive, because the remaining room for creative work is reduced along with the progress of work standardization. It is demonstrated in the present study, on the contrary, that the means and methods given in the work standards are not the constraints on carrying out the work but the important references which should further be improved by the creative efforts of workers and that creativity and work standardization are mutually complementary.