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I’ve studied creativity for more than two decades, and my research shows that times of disruption and upheaval can lead us to new insights and nudge us to innovate in ways we’d never have considered before. In many ways, it’s an opportunity in disguise.
As an organizational psychologist and business school professor at Rice University, I’ve been studying resourcefulness for nearly 20 years, both in times of crisis and times of prosperity. The scientific evidence on resourcefulness shows that constraints activate the flexibility and creativity we need to overcome hard challenges.
Vikas Mittal, a marketing professor at Rice University, said repurposing operations during a crisis can help businesses in the long term in several ways, including boosting a brand’s reputation and recognition, and improving employee morale.
Bill Arnold, a former Shell executive who teaches energy management at Rice University, reckons Occidental and many of its peers face a fight for survival. Occidental's focus now will be on managing its remaining capital. But the oil crash is not without its silver linings, Arnold noted. As drilling slows, industry executives will have more time for strategic planning.
“When we lose control over any significant aspect of our lives, as is happening right now, it is natural to want to find opportunities to exert control over something else,” Utpal Dholakia, professor of marketing at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, told HuffPost. “Doing so makes us feel less helpless.”
Our own bad habits and the natural entropy of most systems has caused misery and burnout, and attendant self-help books. Marie Kondo collaborated on this one with Scott Sonenshein, an organizational psychologist, and they take turns explaining how to tidy desks, drawers, meetings (otherwise known as activity clutter), time, inboxes, behaviors and, ultimately, careers.
Recruiting for some industries generally starts early in an MBA’s second year. By February, about 60% of students will normally have offers, says Philip Heavilin, executive director of career development at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston. By graduation in May, 80% will have a job. The experience of the class of 2020 could show a sharp contrast between those who secured positions before the virus-triggered market crash, and those hunting for work afterward, he says.