Sample questions for creativity

1. a) Define the term creativity as used in entrepreneurship education
2. b) what are the characteristics of creativity individuals
3. c) what the techniques of enhancing creativity in the business

Activity

Tugume Family Restaurant (TFR) has been in existence for over twenty years. The success of TFR is attributed to the founder Tugume, who is said to be visionary and with high business acumen. Tugume has been able to build a stable and motivated workforce over the years. He is credited for having a listening ear and many of the innovations have come up as a result of suggestions from his workers and customers.

By being innovative, TFR enjoys such benefits as reduced costs of production and improvement in corporate image. Bringing up the business to this level was not all that easy, but Tugume’s creativity enabled him to make the restaurant competitive. Among other things, Tugume has harmonised the services of all the restaurants in the TFR chain. TFR serve a variety of dishes to meet the tastes of various customers. They have specialised in serving non-fried traditional dishes but fast foods are also served to meet the preference of young people. Tugume came up with an outside catering service. People make orders on sms or online and food is delivered to their homes.

Tugume studied the process through which the various dishes go in preparation before the dish is served and then he ascribed time for each process. In addition, Tugume ensured that the tastes of various dishes remain consistent by defining the right ingredients for every dish, its cooking time and the appropriate temperature. To ensure effectiveness in management, Tugume has appointed supervisors for all his restaurants who make sure that the waiters and waitresses pay attention to the needs of customers who are served to their satisfaction.

Tugume promotes his business and reaches the market through various media like television, radio, newspapers, business cards, sms, and direct contact to customers.

Required:

1. Distinguish between creativity and innovation.
2. Explain the different types of innovations covered in the case study.
3. Discuss the benefits of innovation to Tugume Family Restaurant.
4. Explain how an entrepreneur can foster innovations in a business venture.

Questions

1. Describe the various type/ forms of innovations in businesses
2. Discuss the characteristics/ attributes of innovative people in your country
3. Suggest ways or measures of promoting/ fastening innovation in small business
4. Explain qualities that make small scale firms more successful in innovations compared to large scale firms or businesses.

Sample questions

Question 1

Robert Kayinja is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Makerere University. He had been unemployed since he graduated five years earlier. His hopes of securing a job were very minimal. He conceived the idea of setting up business to earn a living. His immediate option was to set up a brick making business since his family owned a big chunk of land with a swamp in Ndejje, Luweero district.

He started with capital of Shs 100,000, borrowed from his elder brother, Matayo. In one month, he produced over five thousand bricks but could not find market. He started moving from one trading centre to another to market his bricks and also put up posters in all strategic spots in Ndejje trading centre. Also being an old boy of Ndejje Secondary School he marketed his products amongst his teachers personally. His efforts were rewarded with many customers. His bricks were of good quality, were well burnt, right size and shape. His price was competitive.

Kayinja conducted a market survey and discovered bricks made out of clay are sold at a high price than those made from ordinary soil. He advertised his products on social media and, within one year, Kayinja’s business had grown to an annual turnover of about Shs 10 million. His ten workers were producing an average of about 200,000 bricks per month. Kayinja is now financially stable, providing employment to people in the community, respected in society and even intending to stand as LC 1 chairperson in the forthcoming elections.

Kayinja’s ambition is to open up a joint stock company so that he can venture into making pavers, max pans and cement bricks. His target is to supply large institutions. He missed winning a contract to supply bricks to Ndejje Secondary School when they were constructing a dormitory because he did not meet the technical requirements in his proposal.

Required:

1. Define the term ‘innovation’.
2. Explain the types of innovation used by Robert Kayinja.
3. Explain to him various sources of innovation