Columbia Study Finds Criticism Stirs Employee Creativity
Columbia Business School recently published an article on a study that discovers harsh criticism is a very “effective workplace tool that can help stimulate employees.”
Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics Modupe Akinola discovered that “impediments such as social rejection, harsh criticism and poverty are hurdles that, while problematic, increase workers’ creativity and make them perform better.”
Akinola adds, “Fostering creativity is vital to the modern economy, but to reach your personal best, sometimes you have to go through the worst.”
There are a few caveats, however. On the employer side, Akinola notes that her research “does not give managers license to be tyrannical.” She believes criticism coupled with encouragement ultimately “yields better ideas and pushes employees to use their skills to their fullest potential.” On the employee side, she explains that the “times when we are most vulnerable are often the times we may be opening channels of innovation.”
Akinola concludes, “After all, some of the most creative minds in history suffered, yet they were still able to create some of the most amazing masterpieces.”
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
