MANAGEMENT
PARISTA YUTHAMANOP
Is it not ideas that make the world go round nowadays? Is it not creativity businesses that will be the winners in the globalisation race, when all human beings yearn for a better, more productive and cost-effective ways of doing things?
If so, it will be worth it for every society to do some soul-searching about how it can contribute to the world and prosper in this aspect, based on its culture and skills.
According to a study by the law firm Baker & McKenzie, 40% of the jobs in the world today expect the people who do them to be creative while the figure is 82% for new jobs, says John Howkins, United Kingdom-based expert on creative economy.
''Creativity has been categorised as culture, not business. But in the last 10 to 20 years, things have changed fundamentally. It has become two thirds of the UK economy. Now creativity has involved all human activities, even in agriculture,'' Mr Howkins said.
''To foster creativity, at the very least, calls for us to be passionate in our jobs. If not, why waste time and potential. The thrust of a creative economy is freedom it gives to its people and ambience like urban planning and environment management.
''For an organisation to be creative, it not only has to hire good people, but also must have environment that allows people to adapt,'' he said at a recent forum held by Thailand Creative & Design Center.
''The essence of creativity is to challenge by asking: 'Could it be done in a better, cheaper or any other more efficient way?'''
Governments should start with defining a creative economy in the context of each specific country and explore resources and possibility for creativity to be developed into businesses. Above all, it should be mindful not to impose obstacles such as red tape or high capital requirements.
''The creative economy is about trying and failing. In reality, we fail in order to succeed,'' he said, adding that the reason Hollywood was where it was today was because it was a long way from Washington.
But a government can promote such development by mapping its resources, ensuring facilities such as intellectual property are in place and increasing value chains. Society at large should as well change its attitude and admits that creative jobs are among top jobs.
''People who are now in retirement would be in deep pain if they hear their children say they want to be in a rock band or work in the video-game industry. Now parents should be reassured that their children living on their ideas is a top job,'' he said.
Chris Powell, chairman for the National Endowment for Science, Technology and Arts in the UK, said countries should be aware of the potential of a creative economy because it was what the burgeoning middle class would look to spend on.
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