LEADERSHIP AND CREATIVITY - AN EMPIRICAL- STUDY ON FACTORS AFFECTING WORK-RELATED SUGGESTIONS MADE BY EMPLOYEES

This study examines whether two departments of an industrial plant dif fering in the number of suggestions submitted by employees to the comp any suggestion system working on the assembly line also differ in the leadership and management qualities of the foremen. The quality of man agement and leadership was measured by means of the FVVB (Fragebogen z ur Vorgesetzten Verhaltensbeschreibung), a German version of the LBDQ (Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire). Additional questions asked for further derails about the employee's motivation and knowledg e about the suggestion system of the organization. 81 employees of two departments - comparable in age, training and job characteristics - p articipated. A correlation was found between the suggestion rate and t he dimensions friendliness, activation and cooperation of the German V ersion of the LBDQ. However, the dimension ''control'' did not differ between the departments. We also found a positive correlation between openness of the foremen and creativity of employees. The most importan t motive for participating in a recommendation procedure was the possi bility of monetary awards. The results are discussed with regard to th eir implications for creativity-promoting leadership measures.