Evaluating the impact of TRIZ creativity training: an organizational field study Kamal Birdi 1 , Desmond Leach 2 and Wissam Magadley 3 1 Institute of Work Psychology, The Management School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 1LB, UK. k.birdi@sheffield.ac.uk 2 Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. d.j.leach@lubs.leeds.ac.uk 3 Department of Psychology, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK. w.magadley@yahoo.com Creativity training is used by many organizations in an attempt to improve the innovative- ness of their employees, yet there has been relatively little systematic evaluation carried out of the impact of such training. This study reports on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ)-based creativity training program in a major international engineering firm. Cross-sectional, longitudinal and multisource evaluation strategies were used to assess the impact of the training on a sample of design engineers (n = 123) and to make comparisons with nontrainees (n = 96). Results indicate that partici- pation in TRIZ training led to short-term improvements in both the creative problem- solving skills and motivation to innovate of engineers, and these were associated with longer term improvements in their idea suggestion in the workplace. There was variable support for the translation of these ideas into new innovations and improved performance at work as a result of the training. Theoretical and practical implications for enhancing the effec- tiveness of creativity training interventions are discussed. 1. Introduction I n the face of global competition and the ever more rapid emergence of new products and designs, the ability to innovate and solve problems has become critical for organizational survival and prosperity (Ford and Gioia, 2000; Unsworth, 2001; Anderson et al., 2004; Hennessey and Amabile, 2010). A company that competes on innovation needs its employees not only to reach their productivity goals but also to generate ideas for new products and designs (Dul and Ceylan, 2011). However, innova- tion itself does not occur in a vacuum (Shalley and Gilson, 2004), and hence organizations have adopted numerous creative problem-solving techniques to enhance the innovative capabilities of their work- force. One major criticism of this situation was out- lined by Puccio et al. (2006) in their review of creativity training research, where they opined ‘there are many more people applying these techniques than studying their impact’ (p. 31). One technique that is becoming increasingly popular is the ‘theory of inventive problem solving’ (TRIZ), which originated in the former Soviet Union and has since been used in engineering, R&D, product design, and management. TRIZ R&D Management 42, 4, 2012. © 2012 The Authors. R&D Management © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main St, Malden, MA, 02148, USA. 315