This dissertation presents the results of the importance of creativity for ICT-students of Dutch universities of applied sciences (in Dutch: hogescholen), and the functioning of training courses... Show moreThis dissertation presents the results of the importance of creativity for ICT-students of Dutch universities of applied sciences (in Dutch: hogescholen), and the functioning of training courses that aim to promote creative abilities is highlighted. The ability to generate new and potentially useful ideas and problem-solving skills as a result of creative thinking is an important driver of human evolution. According to many, creativity is a very valued and sought-after accomplishment for today's society and for the future. In addition, computers, and everything related to them, have become an integral part of society. The ‘computer’ is one of the most important innovations in the history of mankind. Computers have radically changed our lives. It is even hardly conceivable to innovate without ICT. It is therefore logical that ICT-professionals play an extremely prominent role in innovation. This applies in particular to students taking a Bachelor of ICT-course in a Dutch University of Applied Sciences, because they are trained as leading IT-specialists.These phenomena led to two interrelated research questions: (i) ”Is creativity training important for ICT-students at Dutch hogescholen?”; and (ii): “Does creativity training work, as it is integrated in the curriculum of these ICT-students?” Show less
The study is motivated by the aspiration to understand project governance in organizations pursuing the development of new products and services across multiple knowledge worker teams. In... Show moreThe study is motivated by the aspiration to understand project governance in organizations pursuing the development of new products and services across multiple knowledge worker teams. In particular, the following problem statement guides the study: Is governance of innovation project management necessary or neglected? Taking the example of agile teams, I illustrate how the advancements in team based project management approaches force us to rethink governance of innovation project management. The findings are based on eight studies. The data consists of results from a total of 53 knowledge worker teams across 44 organizations in 8 countries. The two main conclusions drawn from this study are: (1) fundamentally different approaches to governance of innovation projects are a prerequisite for a success of projects developing new products and services, and (2) governance, particularly in heavily top-down influenced fields such as public administration, will benefit from advancements in agile project management methods. Show less