“The love of things ancient doth argue stayedness, but levity and want of experience maketh apt unto innovations.” This quote by Hooker may be dated, but the meaning still applies today. People, more often than not, have difficulty accepting change. This tendency to conform and to become habitual is the very essence of what inhibits creativity and innovation. Innovation is a word that cannot be clearly defined; the concept is one that can be explained, but the application of the concept is the key to innovation itself. The idea of ‘teaching innovation’ is somewhat of an oxymoron, for if something is being taught, it has already been established, and it is no longer an innovation. However, the importance of the concept of innovation is such that the idea is one that needs to be, and is, addressed in business schools. In this time of rapid change in the global economy, in order to be an attractive candidate for employment, an individual has to exhibit characteristics that they can adapt to an ever-changing environment. The concept of innovation, the importance of looking at things in new ways, and the significance of being perceptive, insightful and intuitive, are ideas that can be taught in a classroom, and are key to preparing individuals to be future innovative businesspeople. Understanding if innovators are born or made is a question which traces back to the fundamental aspects of psychology. It is safe to conclude that some individuals are definitely predisposed to being nonconformist, and some people simply have the ability to think creatively more than others. However, were the great innovative thinkers of all time simply born that way, or was an initial spark nurtured which would not have otherwise been discovered if it had not been for some type of guidance? Simply the fact that his question exists proves the need for the concept of innovation to be taught in the classroom.When considering i...
