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CHAPTER 5

TITLE: CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

WHAT IS THE MODULE ALL ABOUT?

The chapter 5 tackles Creative Problem Solving. It focuses solving problems
or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you
to find fresh perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can
formulate a plan to overcome obstacles and reach your goals.

LIST OF TOPICS TO BE STUDIED IN THIS CHAPTER:

 Definition of CPS
 OSBORN-PARNES CPS – A few model
 Stages and Models of Creative Problem Solving
 Problem Solving Techniques

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILO)

At the end of this chapter, the students would be able to:

1. Identify solving opportunities that ignite ambition foster self-reliance,
resourcefulness, perseverance and determination
2. Analyze circumstances, skills and strategies which yield entrepreneurial
success and have fresh perspective and come up with innovative solutions.

LEARNING CONTENT

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Imagine that you're vacuuming your house in a hurry because you've got friends
coming over. Frustratingly, you're working hard but you're not getting very far. You
kneel down, open up the vacuum cleaner, and pull out the bag. In a cloud of dust,
you realize that it's full... again. Coughing, you empty it and wonder why vacuum
cleaners with bags still exist!

James Dyson, inventor and founder of Dyson® vacuum cleaners, had exactly the
same problem, and he used creative problem solving to find the answer. While many
companies focused on developing a better vacuum cleaner filter, he realized that he
had to think differently and find a more creative solution. So, he devised a
revolutionary way to separate the dirt from the air, and invented the world's first
bagless vacuum cleaner.

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

Main Campus

CHAPTER 5

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of solving problems or identifying

opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you to find fresh
perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can formulate a plan
to overcome obstacles and reach your goals.

In this module, we'll explore what CPS is, and we'll look at its key principles. We'll
also provide a model that you can use to generate creative solutions.

DEFINITION OF CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

"All innovations [begin] as creative solutions, but not all creative solutions become
innovations."

— Richard Fobes
Creative problem solving isn’t just brainstorming, although that’s what many people
may associate it with. It’s actually a well-defined process that can help you from
problem definition to implementing solutions, according to Jeffrey Baumgartner.

Creative ideas do not suddenly appear in people’s minds for no apparent reason.
Rather, they are the result of trying to solve a specific problem or to achieve a
particular goal. Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity were not sudden inspirations.
Rather they were the result of a huge amount of mental problem solving trying to
close a discrepancy between the laws of physics and the laws of electromagnetism
as they were understood at the time.

Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and other creative geniuses have
always worked in the same way. They do not wait for creative ideas to strike them.
Rather they focus on trying to solve a clearly stated, at least in their minds, problem.
This is just like important TED talks to ideate for business innovation specifically
discussed to get a better solution for existing problems.

This approach has been formalized as Creative Problem Solving (CPS). CPS is a
simple process that involves breaking down a problem to understand it, generating
ideas to solve the problem and evaluating those ideas to find the most effective
solutions. Highly creative people tend to follow this process in their heads, without
thinking about it. Less naturally creative people simply have to learn to use this very
simple process.

Creative problem-solving (CPS) is the mental process of searching for an original

and previously unknown solution to a problem. To qualify, the solution must be novel
and reached independently.

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

If you were ‘Google’-ing around for creative problem solving, you may find many
which lead back to Alex Osborn, and Sid Parnes a little more than a half-century ago
at Buffalo State. The many variations of this model give testament that what they
achieved works.
Let’s converge:
Creative: any idea that has some elements of uniqueness, at least to the one that is
creating the solution, and has value which is relevant.
Problem: a challenge, opportunity, or concern.
Solving: developing ways to resolve the problem(s) at hand.
Thus, it can be considered a process or some sort of method which is systematic to
approaching some sort of problem with a unique perspective to result in an effective
resolution.

OSBORN-PARNES CPS

The strategy originally was formulated by Alex Osborn (1963), creator of

brainstorming, founder of the Creative Education Foundation (CEF) and co-founder
of a highly successful New York advertising agency.

Sidney Parnes, a bright and creative person who followed Osborn as President of
CEF, invested nearly 40 years teaching creativity workshops and course and
thinking about the creative process.

The model is usually presented as five steps, but sometimes a preliminary step is
added called mess-finding which involves locating a challenge or problem to which
to apply the model.

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

What is Creative Problem Solving used for?

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) can be used

to develop a variety of new solutions whether
its for products, services, designs or systems.
Really, for anything. Use your creativity and
imagination!

If at work, or actually no matter where you are

or whom you’re with if you run into a problem
that needs solving, you can go ahead and use this method. It can be used quickly in
a small group or can take up to an hour for bigger groups.

The fundamental principle that Creative Problem Solving relies on is divergent and
convergent brainstorming and thinking.

 How do you use it in practice?

The model consists of six major steps: Objective, Fact, Problem, Idea, Solution, and
Acceptance finding. Below you can see a visualization of the complete process and
we will explain each step and provide a checklist of questions (prepared by Parnes in
1981) to improve your thinking. These are just provided as examples, they most
likely will not fit the problem you are trying to solve, but use them as you wish.

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

Objective Finding: Here you must identify the situation or the problem. What may
be the goal, or challenge which you want to work on?

 What would would you like to get out of life?

 What are your goals, as yet unfilled?
 What would you like to accomplish, to achieve?
 What would you like to have?
 What would you like to do?
 What would you like to do better?
 What would you like to happen?
 In what ways are you inefficient?
 What would would you like to organise in a better way?
 What ideas would you like to get going?
 What relationship would you like to improve?
 What would you like to get others to do?
 What takes too long?
 What is wasted?
 What barriers or bottlenecks exist?
 What wdo you wish you had more time for?
 What do you wish you had more money for?
 What makes you angry, tense or anxious?

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
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CHAPTER 5

 What do you complain about?

Fact Finding: Here you should focus on all relevant facts which may affect the
outcome. The best rule of thumb is to use Who, What, When, Where, Why and how
questions.

 Who is or should be involved?

 What is or is not happening?
 When does this or should this happen?
 Where does or doesnt this occur?
 Why does it or doesnt it happen?
 How does it or doesn’t it occur?

Problem Finding: Here you should clarify as best as possible what the problem is,
try to frame it clearly. The one thing to remember is that the way you frame the
problem, the way you define it will determine the nature of solutions in the end. Many
recommend to begin each statement with the IWWMW, In what ways might we…

 What is the real problem?

 What is the main objective?

 What do you really want to accomplish?

 Why do I want to do this?

Idea Finding: This is where you will engage in brainstorming for as many potential
solutions as possible. Use as many idea-generation methods you want, ideas should
be proposed no matter how crazy they seem. Sometimes, the ideas that seem the
craziest will be the most innovative, or help in generating more unique ideas later.

Solution Finding: Now converge on the ideas that you have just generated. You
can follow the following steps:

First: create and agree on criteria to evaluate the list:

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

 Will it work?
 Is it legal?
 Is it possible, resource wise?
 Are the costs reasonable?
 Will it be accepted publicly?
 Will it be accepted by the higher-level administration?

Second: evaluate the list of ideas you created

Third: select up to three of the best ideas

Acceptance Finding: This is where you go back to your selected ideas, and refine
them. Create an action plan for them with steps and a timetable of implementation.

Tips and Tricks (What to do and don’t do)

Divergent Thinking Guidelines

 Defer Judgment
 Strive for quantity
 Seek wild and unusual
 Build on other ideas

Convergent Thinking Guidelines

 Be affirmative
 Be deliberate
 Check the objectives
 Improve ideas
 Consider novelty

Don’t limit yourself, be creative. Get excited, your blood running. Its important when
brainstorming through some of the steps to just blurt out the first things that come to
mind.

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

Main Campus

CHAPTER 5

STAGES AND MODELS OF CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

6 Stages and Models of Creative Problem Solving

Below is a step-by-step process of solving a problem that employs an individual’s
creativity. Like most of the other models around, the process begins with
assessment or collection of data to begin with until the best possible course of action
is selected out of the many generated alternatives that is hoped to solve the
problem. Let’s take a look on this!
In Creative Problem Solving: The Basic Course (1985),
authors Isaksen and Treffinger describe critical and creative thinking as a six-stage
problem-solving process:

1. Mess Finding: identify and acknowledge what’s

the mess that needs cleaning up, the situation that
demands attention.
This has something to do with knowing where to start
if ever there is really a need to. In other words, a
person is moved to do something because a break in
equilibrium occurs that needs to be properly
addressed.
 

2. Data Finding: “taking stock”–unearthing and collecting information, knowledge,

facts, feelings, opinions, and thoughts.  What do you know about the situation? 
What do you still need to know?
In order to proceed with the process, examine first those
things you are already aware of that may play significant
impact in the present problem being handled. Then, advance
further by gathering essential information and data relevant to
the problem at hand.
 

3. Problem Finding: “problem statement” that expresses the

“heart” of the situation.  State the problem in such a manner as
to invite novel perspectives on it.
This is said to be the heart of the situation as this is the center
to which future actions are based. As we all know, those
interventions must be in keeping with what the problem poses
to the individual that warrants actions.

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

 
4. Idea Finding: brainstorm as many ideas or alternatives as possible. Don’t
evaluate. Generate an idea pool of a variety of solutions to your problem.
At this point, it is important to generate much ideas and alternatives as possible
relevant to the problem identified so that judgment at the next step will be applied to
each in an effort to generate the best course of action to do. Asking for others’ help
will be a good idea.

 
5. Solution Finding: evaluate ideas systematically;
identify and evaluate the relative strengths and
weaknesses of possible solutions. Generate a variety
of criteria and select the most important for your
problem. Is it cost? expediency? pleasure? time
involvement? etc.
In this step, every generated alternative must be
evaluated against the set criteria or standards so that
the most likely “best” among all identified options will
be considered. Be sure to be objective and fair in judging the said choices. It is
important to become open with all the options being considered.
 
6. Acceptance Finding: formulate a plan of action.
Determine your need, obstacles or difficulties, and
specific short- and long-term steps.
After all the choices have been evaluated carefully and
tactfully, then next and last for this model is to accept
that course of action and have it carried  out to solve
the identified problem.
 
Again, like all other models designed to help solve a
problem, the individual utilizing such model must be
tactful in being optimistic yet realistic in considering alternatives for a certain
problem. For this particular model, the key is to employ creativity in the context of
identifying the best solution for the problem.

PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUE

CPS Steps

1. Clarify and identify the problem

2. Research the problem
3. Formulate creative challenges
4. Generate ideas
5. Combine and evaluate the ideas

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

6. Draw up an action plan

7. Do it! (implement the ideas)

Let us look at each step more closely:

1. Clarify and identify the problem

Arguably the single most important step of CPS is identifying your real problem or
goal. This may seem easy, but very often, what we believe to be the problem is not
the real problem or goal. For instance, you may feel you need a new job. However, if
you break down your problem and analyse what you are really looking for, it may
transpire that the actual issue is that your income does not cover your costs of living.
In this case, the solution may be a new job, but it might also be to re-arrange your
expenses or to seek a pay rise from your existing employer.

Five whys: A powerful problem-definition technique

The best way to clarify the problem and understand the underlying issues is to ask
yourself – or better still, ask a friend or family member to ask you – a series of
questions about your problem in order to clarify the true issues behind the problem.
The first question to ask is simply: “why is this a problem?” or “why do I wish to
achieve this goal?” Once you have answered that, ask yourself “why else?” four
more times.

For instance, you might feel you want to overcome your shyness. So, you ask
yourself why and you answer: “because I am lonely”. Then ask yourself “Why else?”
four times. You answer: “Because I do not know many people in this new city where I
live”, “Because I find it hard to meet people”, “Because I am doing many activities
alone” and “Because I would like to do activities with other people who share my
interests”. This last “why else” is clearly more of the issue than reducing shyness.
Indeed, if you had focused your creative energy on solving your shyness issue, you
would not have actually solved the real problem. On the other hand, if you focused
your creative energy on finding people with whom to share activities, you would be
happier without ever having to address the shyness issue.

More questions you can ask to help clearly define the problem
In addition, you can further clarify your problem by asking questions like: “What do I
really wish to accomplish?”, “What is preventing me from solving this
problem/achieving the goal?”, “How do I envision myself in six months/one year/five
years [choose most relevant time span] as a result of solving this problem?” and “Are
my friends dealing with similar problems? If so, how are they coping?”

By the time you have answered all these questions, you should have a very clear
idea of what your problem or real goal is.

Set criteria for judging potential solutions

The final step is to decide what criteria you will eventually use to evaluate or judge
the ideas. Are there budget limitations, timeframe or other restrictions that will affect

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

Main Campus

CHAPTER 5

whether or not you can go ahead with an idea? What will you want to have
accomplished with the ideas? What do you wish to avoid when you implement these
ideas? Think about it and make a list of three to five evaluation criteria. Then put the
list aside. You will not need it for a while.

2. Research the problem

The next step in CPS is to research the problem in order to get a better
understanding of it. Depending on the nature of the problem, you may need to do a
great deal of research or very little. The best place to start these days is with your
favourite search engine. But do not neglect good old fashioned sources of
information and opinion. Libraries are fantastic for in-depth information that is easier
to read than computer screens. Friends, colleagues and family can also provide
thoughts on many issues. Fora on sites like LinkedIn and elsewhere are ideal for
asking questions. There’s nothing an expert enjoys more than imparting her
knowledge. Take advantage of that. But always try to get feedback from several
people to ensure you get well-rounded information.

3. Formulate one or more creative challenges

By now, you should be clear on the real issues behind your problems or goals. The
next step is to turn these issues into creative challenges. A creative challenge is
basically a simple question framed to encourage suggestions or ideas. In English, a
challenge typically starts with “In what ways might I [or we]…?” or “How might I…?”
or “How could I…?”

Creative challenges should be simple, concise and focus on a single issue. For
example: “How might I improve my Chinese language skills and find a job in
Shanghai?” is two completely separate challenges. Trying to generate ideas that
solve both challenges will be difficult and, as a result, will stifle idea generation. So
separate these into two challenges: “How might I improve my Chinese language
skills?” and “How might I find a job in Shanghai?” Then attack each challenge
individually. Once you have ideas for both, you may find a logical approach to
solving both problems in a coordinated way. Or you might find that there is not a
coordinated way and each problem must be tackled separately.

Creative challenges should not include evaluation criteria. For example: “How might I
find a more challenging job that is better paying and situated close to my home?” If
you put criteria in the challenge, you will limit your creative thinking. So simply ask:
“How might a I find a more challenging job?” and after generating ideas, you can use
the criteria to identify the ideas with the greatest potential.

4. Generate ideas

Finally, we come to the part most people associate with brainstorming and creative
problem solving: idea generation. And you probably know how this works. Take only
one creative challenge. Give yourself some quiet time and try to generate at least 50

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

Main Campus

CHAPTER 5

ideas that may or may not solve the challenge. You can do this alone or you can
invite some friends or family members to help you.

Irrespective of your idea generation approach, write your ideas on a document. You
can simply write them down in linear fashion, write them down on a mind map, enter
them onto a computer document (such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice) or use a
specialized software for idea generation. The method you use is not so important.
What is important is that you follow these rules:

Write down every idea that comes to mind. Even if the idea is ludicrous, stupid or
fails to solve the challenge, write it down. Most people are their own worst critics and
by squelching their own ideas, make themselves less creative. So write everything
down. NO EXCEPTIONS!

If other people are also involved, insure that no one criticizes anyone else’s ideas in
any way. This is called squelching, because even the tiniest amount of criticism can
discourage everyone in the group for sharing their more creative ideas. Even a sigh
or the rolling of eyes can be critical. Squelching must be avoided!

If you are working alone, don’t stop until you’ve reached your target of 50 (or more)
ideas. If you are working with other people, set a time limit like 15 or 20 minutes.
Once you have reached this time limit, compare ideas and make a grand list that
includes them all. Then ask everyone if the have some new ideas. Most likely people
will be inspired by others’ ideas and add more to the list.

If you find you are not generating sufficient ideas, give yourself some inspiration. A
classic trick is to open a book or dictionary and pick out a random word. Then
generate ideas that somehow incorporate this word. You might also ask yourself
what other people whom you know; such as your grandmother, your partner, a friend
or a character on you favourite TV show, might suggest.

Brainstorming does not need to occur at your desk. Take a trip somewhere for new
inspiration. Find a nice place in a beautiful park. Sit down in a coffee shop on a
crowded street corner. You can even walk and generate ideas.

In addition, if you browse the web for brainstorming and idea generation, you will find
lots of creative ideas on how to generate creative ideas!

One last note: If you are not in a hurry, wait until the next day and then try to
generate another 25 ideas; ideally do this in the morning. Research has shown that
our minds work on creative challenges while we sleep. Your initial idea generation
session has been good exercise and has certainly generated some great ideas. But
it will probably also inspire your unconscious mind to generate some ideas while you
sleep. Don’t lose them!

5. Combine and evaluate ideas

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

After you have written down all of your ideas, take a break. It might just be an hour. It
might be a day or more. Then go through the ideas. Related ideas can be combined
together to form big ideas (or idea clusters).

Then, using the criteria you devised earlier, choose all of the ideas that broadly meet
those criteria. This is important. If you focus only on the “best” ideas or your favorite
ideas, the chances are you will choose the less creative ones! Nevertheless, feel
free to include your favorite ideas in the initial list of ideas.

Now get out that list of criteria you made earlier and go through each idea more
carefully. Consider how well it meets each criterion and give it a rating of 0 to 5
points, with five indicating a perfect match. If an idea falls short of a criterion, think
about why this is so. Is there a way that it can be improved in order to increase its
score? If so, make a note. Once you are finished, all of the ideas will have an
evaluation score. Those ideas with the highest score best meet your criteria. They
may not be your best ideas or your favorite ideas, but they are most likely to best
solve your problem or enable you to achieve your goal.

Depending on the nature of the challenge and the winning ideas, you may be ready
to jump right in and implement your ideas. In other cases, ideas may need to be
developed further. With complex ideas, a simple evaluation may not be enough. You
may need to do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis
or discuss the idea with others who will be affected by it. If the idea is business
related, you may need to do a business case, market research, build a prototype or a
combination of all of these.

Also, keep in mind that you do not need to limit yourself to one winning idea. Often
you can implement several ideas in order to solve your challenge.

6. Draw up an action plan

At this point, you have some great ideas. However, a lot of people have trouble
motivating themselves to take the next step. Creative ideas may mean big changes
or taking risks. Some of us love change and risk. Others are scared by it. Draw up an
action plan with the simple steps you need to take in order to implement your ideas.
Ideas that involve a lot work to implement can be particularly intimidating. Breaking
their implementation down into a series of readily accomplished tasks makes these
ideas easier to cope with and implement.

7. Do it!

This is the simplest step of all. Take your action plan and implement your idea. And if
the situation veers away from your action plan steps, don’t worry. Rewrite your action
plan!

CPS and innovation

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

Main Campus

CHAPTER 5

Any effective innovation initiative or process will use CPS at the front end. Our
innovation process does so. TRIZ also uses elements of CPS. Any effective and
sustainable idea management system or ideation activity will be based on CPS.

Systems  and methods that do not use CPS or use it badly, on the other hand, tend
not to be sustainable and fail early on. Suggestion schemes in which employees or
the public are invited to submit any idea whatsoever are effectively asking users of
the system to determine a problem and then offer a solution. This will result not only
in many ideas, but many different problems, most of which will not be relevant to
your strategic needs. Worse, having to evaluate every idea in the context of its
implied problem – which may not be clear – is a nightmare from a resource point of
view.

Systems and methods which are based on CPS, but in which creative challenges are
poorly defined, also deliver poor results either because users do not understand the
challenge or the problem is poorly understood and the resulting challenge stimulates
ideas which in themselves are good, but which are not actually solutions to the true
problem.

Use it!

That said, CPS is a conceptually simple process – but critical to any innovation
process. If you do not use it already, familiarize yourself with the process and start
using it. You will find it does wonders for your innovativeness.

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

It composes on how to deal a specific business problem on how to calculate
possibilities and rethink all actions before implementing it. It draws innovative and
creative thinking skills to every individual and business ideas. It also helps future
teachers to have a good principle of teaching technique for students.

REFERENCES:

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

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CHAPTER 5

6 stages of creative problem solving. (2013, July 8). Reynaldo Flores

(Rhed). https://reynaldojrflores.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/6-stages-of-
creative-problem-solving/
The basics of creative problem solving - CPS. (2020, August 4).
InnovationManagement. https://innovationmanagement.se/2010/06/02/the-
basics-of-creative-problem-solving-cps/
Creative problem solving : Finding innovative solutions to challenges. (n.d.).
Management Training and Leadership Training -
Online. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/creative-problem-
solving.htm
Osborn-parnes creative problem solving model. (2017, May 8).
Unickversity. https://s574833917.online.de/osborn-parnes-creative-problem-
solving-model/

Course Code: GENED 110

Descriptive Title: ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND
Instructor: CAROLINE K. MARQUEZ