Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Lucky country perhaps, but not the creative country: Forget the MBA, get a MFA

By Ralph Kerle - posted Thursday, 7 October 2004


Florida suggests that the strong economies of the future will be those that concentrate "not on developing cost-effective centres for manufacturing or basic business processes. Rather they will be countries that are able to attract creative people that come up with next generation products and business processes as a result".

Under the Harvard Creativity Index, Netherlands, Ireland and Greece rate in the top 15 creative countries in the world. Australia, rated below the top 15, spends 0.8 per cent of its annual budget on research and development, whereas Ireland and Greece spend only 0.36 per cent. Only the Netherlands, ranked fourth worldwide behind Sweden, the US, and Finland, spends more than Australia at 0.87 per cent of its national budget.

The question has to be asked: If we spend comparatively larger sums on research and development, why do we not rate in the top 15 creative countries in the world? Why do we not capitalise on our R and D investment? Is there something basic we need to discover and confront about our national creativity and its potential?

Advertisement

Implementation

Australian business management is imbued with a sense of research and development but it lacks the skills, knowledge and confidence to work commercially creatively and innovatively. To change this mindset, senior corporate executives need to put marketplace demands on tertiary institutions to provide formal courses in creativity and innovation. Only under industry pressure will universities be motivated to act to make creativity a recognised program of study and practice.

Once universities oblige, business can then gain vital access to the ever changing, fast-moving knowledge and processes of creativity. They will be able to engage in informed exchanges with the arts industry; employ arts graduates at senior management levels, and through this process actually begin to perceive creativity not as an aesthetic proposition alone but as a complete design system. Put to work intelligently, this system offers the potential for product, service, or organisational differential as a matter of practice. The creative advantage can now be trained and deployed as a national resource to keep competitive pace in the globalisation of business and as a carrier of civilization.

Robert Lutz, chairman of General Motors, summed up the case for creativity when he said, “I see us being in the art business. Art, entertainment, and mobile sculpture, which coincidently also happens to provide transportation."  

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. Page 3
  5. All

An edited version of this article was first published in The Australian on September 29, 2004.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

1 post so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Ralph Kerle is CEO/Creative Director of Eventures Australia Pty. Ltd (experience design and production) and in that capacity he has worked for such Fortune 500 companies as Caltex, Fosters, Dairy Farmers, Foxtel, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, Kraft Foods, Nestle, Rolls Royce, Peugeot, Toyota, Telstra, Walt Disney, and Yellow Pages.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Ralph Kerle
Related Links
Eventures Australia
Time to rediscover a liberal arts education
Photo of Ralph Kerle
Article Tools
Comment 1 comment
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy