Guy Parmentier , Grenoble IAE Graduate School of Management and Bérangère Lauren Szostak , Institut Supérieur de Management – IAE de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines ; University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ) – Paris-Saclay University
Individual creativity depends on the organizational context. Guy Parmentier and Bérangère Szostak illustrate the challenges of developing organizations' creative capacities using universities as an example.
When the results were given by the European Research Council (or ERC) on the funding of research projects of excellence, French universities displayed contrasting reactions; some welcomed the number of laureates in their laboratories, while others, despite an increase in applications, deplored results below their expectations.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research highlighted an 11.6% increase in proposals for Starting Grants (compared to 12.5% at the European level), and French participation in 21 of the 66 projects selected for Synergy Grants (compared to 29 for Germany). While these figures are certainly commendable, these results also prompt broader reflection: how can we sustainably stimulate and encourage the scientific creativity that is the strength of French laboratories?
Because the issue isn't just quantitative. ERC-funded projects, often at the forefront of innovation, demonstrate remarkable intellectual boldness and creativity . But for this momentum to continue, we must examine the very conditions under which research flourishes.
Beyond the tools
A recent study published in the French Journal of Management identifies five key dimensions for strengthening the creative capacity of organizations, whether businesses or public bodies, including universities. These inseparable levers outline a roadmap for achieving this potential.
While experimental sciences and healthcare, for example, rely on cutting-edge machines and infrastructure, scientific creativity also demands methods and spaces for knowledge. This includes, for instance, access to high-performance databases, mastery of artificial intelligence tools, training in creativity methods, and the adoption of new research approaches. Without these resources, even the most brilliant researchers see their potential stifled.
Furthermore, openness is essential for cross-fertilization. Ideas often emerge at the intersection of disciplines and sectors. Researchers must be encouraged to participate in diverse scientific communities, engage in interdisciplinary projects, and collaborate with industry, users, and socio-economic stakeholders. These interactions, too often overlooked, are nevertheless fertile ground for innovation.
Creativity, a question of agility
Socialization, or the art of exchanging ideas, is the third condition. Thus, seminars, conferences, and workshops are not mere academic exercises; they are spaces where hypotheses are challenged, enriched, and refined. For these exchanges to bear fruit, they must take place in a supportive environment, fostered by leadership (research units, university presidents, ministerial bodies) that values boldness over caution. A word of encouragement, public recognition of risky but promising initiatives, can make all the difference. This support also comes from encouraging and optimistic words from the governing bodies.
Research on the creative capacity of organizations emphasizes the development of organizational agility. Indeed, in a world where scientific and societal challenges are evolving at a breakneck pace, universities must be able to adapt quickly. This requires flexibility—financial, human, and administrative—and less rigid decision-making processes. Yet today, researchers too often encounter constrained budgets and bureaucratic procedures that stifle initiative.
The urgent need to professionalize idea management
Finally, there is one skill that needs further professionalization: idea management. Collecting, evaluating, storing, and leveraging ideas should be a strategic priority. Yet, universities provide little training for their researchers in these practices. Without rigorous management of this "idea capital," many promising avenues are lost along the way. Researchers must be trained in these activities and encouraged to do so by being valued for their commitment.
One final point is important to support the creative ideas of researchers. According to research on the creative capacity of organizations, the five dimensions mentioned above are expressed all the better if they are supported by a creative climate characterized by a clear vision of what the organization wants to do, stable resources, constructive team management, diversity in teams, and a friendly and stimulating work environment.
A scientific challenge… but not only that
What is the situation in universities in the face of budget cuts and an increase in administrative burdens? France can be proud of its ERC grant recipients, but these successes should not obscure the structural weaknesses of its research system. For scientific creativity to become a collective force rather than the preserve of a select few, it is urgent to rethink the environment in which researchers operate. This requires secure budgets commensurate with the challenges, a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles, and an organizational culture that dares to trust.
French universities have the potential to be world-class innovation hubs. This potential will only be fully realized if the conditions are in place to equip, open up, socialize, make agile, and professionalize the management of ideas. The challenge is not only scientific: it is also economic, social, and democratic.
Guy Parmentier , Professor at Grenoble IAE, Grenoble IAE Graduate School of Management , and Bérangère Lauren Szostak , Professor of Innovation and Creativity Management, Institut Supérieur de Management – IAE de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines ; University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ) – Paris-Saclay University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.