Creative class

The theory of the creative class (Creative class ) is an economic theory that was developed by the U.S. professor Richard Florida.

Basic statement

The basic statement of Florida's theory is that the creative minds of a society and the innovations emanating from them are critical to the economic growth of regions. Related to the creative class can be found in all areas of the world of work, the decisive factor is their " creative work " and the resulting innovations. Florida puts in his research and attention to the spatial distribution of the creative class and trying for the development of regions to explain.

The change in the work

Florida believes that creative work is the most important factor for economic growth. Even the invention of the plow was a creative idea, which led to profound changes in agriculture. It is clear that every person has a creative potential, but he must also live within a system that promotes this creativity and brings to unfold.

For a long time went from the innovations of a few individuals, the great mass of people working without thinking about their work. This was especially true of the period of the Fordist economic order. Originated in the early twentieth century, she shared value creation processes in a single predefined steps. The assembly line was the heartbeat of the production. However, this system has been subjected to since about the 1980s, major changes, starting among others by Japanese companies such as Toyota, which recognized that the workers of a factory were far more important for the value creation process than the machines used.

By become tougher global competition, increased time pressures, shorter product cycles, and the concomitant realization that this economic system with its vertical organizations and hierarchies was too rigid to effectively and successfully address the new challenges, new forms of economic order developed. Flexibility of companies, among others, by the flattening of hierarchies, greater responsibilities for employees, participation of all parties involved in the production circle on innovation and problem- solving process. This led to profound changes in the work environment. End of work that were not part of the innovation process earlier, were now miteingebunden, used their creative potential.

Through this development, the number of growing " creative " in the economy stable. In the U.S., for example, the share of creative class workers in total employment was about 10 % in 1900, and grew by a moderate growth to 20%, up to 1970-1980 to 30% in 2000. Too, the sharp rise in creative jobs mid-1980s can be seen.

The Creative Class

End of work be assigned due to the nature of their work the creative class, where people from all areas of the working world of the creative class can be assigned as long as the content of their work leads a creative process in itself. This Florida divides the creative class into two groups:

The Super Creative Core belong to those whose profession and main task is to create something and to produce new. These innovations manifest themselves, for example, in new products, optimized processes and new ideas. Members of Super Creative cores operate in knowledge-intensive sectors, such as Scientists, artists, professors, teachers, designers, and entrepreneurs.

The second group is that of Creative Professionals, which also deals mainly with knowledge-intensive work. However, it is not the main task of their employment, to create something new, but their profession requires independent thinking and creative problem solving. Members of this group are, inter alia, Lawyers, managers, skilled workers, doctors, etc.

The creative class in the room

The individual decision to work in a place to live and is influenced by many factors. As the creative class is above average mobile, often finds a densely populated place in particularly attractive regions. This clustering of human capital leads to higher than average growth and prosperity, as accompanied by colonizing companies.

To analyze regions according to attractiveness and potential, the model of three T was developed by Florida. This consists of the indicators technology, talent and tolerance. Technology stands for innovation and concentration of high-tech and knowledge industries in a region, the quasi already settled knowledge-intensive economy. Talent represents the creative potential, determined by the number of employees in creative occupations in the region. Tolerance represents the openness of a society or region through which a wide range is attracted to different personalities, which leads to a high exchange of new ideas. Regions where these three aspects are strongly represented, are open-minded, strong education and equipped with promising economic sectors, regions.

As engines of growth of a company go from these regions key innovations with impact on a much larger room. Regions already characterized by these features will attract from outside, since these values ​​play a major role in individual decisions are likely more highly skilled creatives.

Swell

• Richard Florida: The Rise of the Creative Class. Basic Books, New York 2002, ISBN 978-0465029938.
• Johannes Weyer: Promoting innovation - but how? On the role of the state in innovation policy. , 2004.
• Terry Nichols Clark: Urban Amenities: Lakes Opera, and Juice Bars. Do They Drive Development? University of Chicago, 2002.
• Uwe Hunger: From brain drain to brain gain. The impact of the migration of the highly skilled in dispensing and receiving countries. Friedrich- Ebert -Stiftung, August 2003, ISBN 3-89892-202-2.