business creative thinking essay

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Strategy Needs Creativity

Adam Brandenburger

When business school students are taught strategy, they dutifully study mapping the five forces, for example, and drawing a value net, but they know that game-changing strategies come from somewhere more creative.

To generate groundbreaking strategies, executives need tools explicitly designed to foster creativity. A number of such tools already exist, often in practitioner-friendly forms. They take their inspiration more from how our thought processes work than from how industries or business models are structured. Thus they can help strategists invent a genuinely new way of doing business.

The author explores four approaches to a breakthrough strategy: (1) Contrast. Identify—and challenge—the assumptions undergirding the status quo. (2) Combination. Connect products or services that seem independent from or even in tension with one another. (3) Constraint. Look at limitations in an organization and turn them into strengths. (4) Context. Consider how a similar problem was solved in an entirely different context—surprising insights may emerge.

An analytic framework alone won’t reinvent your business.

Idea in Brief

The problem.

The field of strategy overfocuses on analytic rigor and underfocuses on creativity.

Why It Matters

Analytic tools are good at helping strategists develop business ideas that are close at hand—but less good at discovering transformative strategies.

In Practice

The wise strategist can work with four creativity-enhancing tools: contrast, combination, constraint, and context.

I’ve noticed that business school students often feel frustrated when they’re taught strategy. There’s a gap between what they learn and what they’d like to learn. Strategy professors (including me) typically teach students to think about strategy problems by introducing them to rigorous analytical tools—assessing the five forces, drawing a value net, plotting competitive positions. The students know that the tools are essential, and they dutifully learn how to use them. But they also realize that the tools are better suited to understanding an existing business context than to dreaming up ways to reshape it. Game-changing strategies, they know, are born of creative thinking: a spark of intuition, a connection between different ways of thinking, a leap into the unexpected.

Adam Brandenburger is the J.P. Valles Professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University, distinguished professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and faculty director of the Program on Creativity and Innovation at NYU Shanghai.

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Creative Thinking: What is it, Why is it Important, and How to Develop it?

by Rawzaba Alhalabi Published on January 17, 2021

So what is creative thinking?

Creative thinking is the process of nurturing your imagination allowing you to “think out of the box”.

Being able to train your mind to think creatively helps you invent, problem-solve, create and communicate in fresh, new ways. Moreover, studying art and design , along with diverse disciplines, provides a rich tapestry of perspectives and techniques, enriching your creative thinking process even further.

Creative thinkers are in high demand in the job market and creative thinking is one of the key skills needed in future jobs according to a recent report by the World Economic Forum.

So, let’s develop your creative thinking skills!

In this article, we will take you through a step by step process of how to improve your creative thinking skills. You will learn about different ways used to help you become more open-minded, innovative and creative .

Article Outline

The importance of creative thinking
6 Ways to apply creative thinking in your everyday life
Thinking Hats: Approach Creative Thinking by de Bono
Another Creative Thinking Approach: Lateral Thinking

Things to Avoid which will impact your Creative Thinking

How to succeed in your career based on your enneagram (infographic)

Every person can improve their creative thinking skills. By doing so, it will help you create, interpret and come with solutions to challenges in your daily life routines at school, university, organization or simply at home.

“Everyone is born creative” – Hugh Macleod

A group of CEOs were asked “What is the skill you most value in your people?” as part of a survey , they said creativity, the ability to solve problems, come up with new solutions, and use brainpower to figure things out.

Before we get into the techniques, let us explore why is it important to become a creative thinker.

Everyone Should Become a Creative Thinker

Being able to train your mind to think creatively helps you invent, problem-solve, create and communicate in fresh, new ways.

When you think open-mindedly you become a happier person ready to accept exciting surprises from life.

8 reasons why creative thinking is an essential skill for everyone

The following are 8 reasons why you are advised to be creative in your everyday life:

Thinking creatively adds value not only to your life but also to the life of others. Translating your thoughts into beautiful work, projects ‘yourself’ clearly into the world you live in.
Creative thinking helps you become self relying and more confident . You can think on your own without the help of others making you a stronger, truly-happy person.
By thinking creatively you become true to yourself . You accept who you are without worrying about other peoples’ judgments.
Thinking open-mindedly gives you a reason to wake up every morning to start exploring new ideas and thoughts . It makes your life worth living.
Creative thinking can bring out hidden talents that you have not noticed before. Instead of just nagging about a problem, it helps you discover new opportunities that you haven’t been aware of.
Thinking ‘out of the box’ makes you feel satisfied at all phases of your life. You never feel that you have reached a dead end instead you are always ready to explore new challenges. You have the ability to see what others can’t see.
Being creative helps you express your feelings allowing you to be whatever you want to be in this world.
The more experienced you get with thinking creatively, the easier it becomes to master difficult situations you may face in your life.

As explained, creative thinking has many advantages but most importantly it will make you a happier and better person so start practicing!

Check out the below infographic extracted from a global study done by Adobe.

6 Ways to apply creative thinking in your everyday life

Successful people today are great creative thinkers.

Practicing creativity on a daily basis guides you to become a great success in the future.

The most important thing is to feel free when trying to apply creativity in your life. Creativity is having the power to expand your imagination bringing the most out of your potentials.

The following are 6 ways to apply creative thinking in your life:

R isk Taking : Being adventurous and ready for life’s challenges pushes you a step forward to creativity.
Playing : Trying to play and be funny at times gives you the chance to manipulate the given problem accordingly to what you need.
Regularly asking Why : Being curious and nosy, wanting to ask questions all the time opens endless doors and possibilities.
Generating large quantity of ideas: By producing a big number of possible solutions, a smart, unique, unexpected answer might be discovered.
Day Dreaming: Wondering about things related to your project frees your mind to expand its horizons and explore new ways out there.
Reading: Going to the library and spending hours reading can nurture your imagination and grow a strong creative thinker.

Therefore, by working on being a risk taker, a day dreamer and a good reader you are forcing your mind to grow in all directions.

So follow the above steps to WOW your way to become a high-standard creative thinker as opposed to being a boring, traditional thinker with limited abilities!

Thinking Hats: Approach Creative Thinking by de Bono

The “6 Thinking Hats” is a system designed by Edward de Bono as an approach to promote creative thinking. It is a tool used to enhance real thinking to make the process more productive and focused.

The ‘6 Thinking Hats’ separates thinking into 6 different roles, each role identified with a colored symbolic thinking hat. This approach helps to redirect thoughts by mentally switching from one hat to the other.

6 Thinking Hats – by de Bono

The following are the 6 thinking hats and what each color represents:

“White Hat” – stating facts and information, things you already know.
“ Yellow Hat” – looking at the bright side, being optimistic and positive, adding value and benefits.
“Red Hat” – expressing feelings and emotions, your reactions and opinions.
“Blue Hat” – managing and controlling, looking at the bigger picture.
“Green Hat” – exploring other alternatives, generating new ideas and solutions.
“Black Hat” – being realistic and practical, being cautious, finding where things might go wrong, discovering dangers and difficulties. Black Hat is usually called the ‘devil’s voice’.

The above 6 hats, when combined together, allows your mind to think clearly and objectively.

For example, you can start by grabbing the “Blue Hat” asking yourself questions such as: what is our goal? Are the 6 guidelines observed clearly? What is the subject addressed? This helps you get an overall view of your problem.

Next, you can grab the “Red Hat” expressing what you feel towards the problem and asking yourself who might be affected by this problem.

Then, you can grab “Yellow” and later “Green Hat” to invent new concepts and solutions.

Finally, you can switch between the “White” and “Black hat” in order to validate your solution by using information that you already know.

Start training your mind to switch directions from one hat to another to solve problems efficiently, effectively bringing out benefits too!

Here’s a video to explain the process:

Another Creative Thinking Approach: Lateral Thinking

Lateral Thinking is a phrase invented by Edward de Bono that means thinking about a problem in a different way than what is usually used.

You can check out Edward de Bono’s book on the topic:

Lateral thinking is far from logical thinking most people use today.

It is expanding your thinking limits, freeing yourself from boundaries giving you the chance to explore things you never knew existed.

The following are 5 steps involved in Lateral Thinking:

Change the focus of your thinking , allowing your mind to discover new options. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Break free from limits of traditional logical thinking of reason. Think messy, think all over making every small detail count.
Develop new ideas and shape them to fit the situation you have on hand. Generating ideas is not sufficient; implementing these ideas according to what you need is what it takes to be a success.
Use diverse unrelated data to help you come up with new concepts. Break down data, group them together or even try data you have never imagined might work. By experimenting without judgment, unexpected solutions may arise!
Look beyond obvious alternatives . Sometimes, opportunities are hidden and can only be discovered by thinking ‘out of the box’.

Creative thinking is the ability to free your mind to create, interpret and visualize possibilities.

See also: How to become an exceptional critical thinker

Whether you decide to use lateral thinking or the 6 hats thinking approach, work your way to become a WOW creative thinker!

Creative thinking pushes passion allowing you to love and live beyond your limits.

However, sometimes situations happen in life that restricts your freedom. It’s up to you to break down these walls and live up to your full potential, with the support and resources from Customwritings to help you overcome any obstacles.

The following are 8 things you are advised to avoid in order to be able to unleash your creativity:

Complain about a problem:

Worry about what others think: , stay in your ‘comfort zone’: , school limiting your creativity: , hold back when you have a good idea: , stop learning: , assume certain perceptions: .

We suggest you try to avoid the 8 points mentioned above in order to free your mind to think creatively.

It is a step forward to raise hidden talents that will push our world to lasting global success!

How to succeed in your career based on your enneagram

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to succeeding in your career. Some personality types thrive when put in front of a crowd, but for others, it’s their worst nightmare! Similarly, some personality types have the potential to be amazing employees but their personalities may be able to show success in a different way.

Understanding your career personality type is a great way to figure out how to succeed in your career. Using your Enneagram type , you can learn personality-specific ways that you can thrive. For example, type five does well when they can work independently and can use “heads down” (no meeting) days to get the space they need to be productive.

Ready to find your career Enneagram? Check out the infographic below to get started.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

Business team using creative problem-solving

01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

Design Thinking and Innovation | Uncover creative solutions to your business problems | Learn More

Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

The four stages of design thinking: clarify, ideate, develop, and implement

Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

The printer is overused.
The printer overheats.
The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

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Continue Developing Your Skills

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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Why Creativity Is Essential to Getting Your New Businesses Started in a Winning Position Here's why creativity is the backbone of any successful business.

By Rudy Mawer • Dec 21, 2022

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Creativity is not only for artists; you can find it in all aspects of life, including the world of business. If you're an entrepreneur, then you know that creativity is essential to getting your new businesses started in a winning position. If the wheels aren't turning, and you're not developing new, unique and interesting ideas to keep your customers engaged — you're doing entrepreneurship wrong.

That's because creativity breeds originality . Originality is key to any successful startup. It gives your brand an edge over its competitors. How? Because your service or solution is different from what has already been before.

Related: 5 Ways to Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Creativity

Creativity is essential to entrepreneurship

The great American novelist Herman Melville once stated, "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." This advice still rings true today. Best of all, there is no limit as to how far you can go with your business idea when there are no boundaries set by another person's creativity — because you got there first. Isn't that empowering to think about?

Yes, creativity allows us to see things in ways we have not seen before. It helps us understand other people's points of view by encouraging us to think outside of our own comfort zone. When we're able to express ourselves through words or ideas, it opens up our minds to limitless possibilities.

Luckily, this is something anyone can do, no matter how old they are or what background they have. It doesn't matter if you're an entrepreneur who wants to start a new business or an employee at an established company. Creativity is essential to entrepreneurship since it allows new businesses to get recognition and get placed on the map.

Most importantly, the impact creativity can have on your customers is staggering. It can help you connect with them in a way that feels genuine and real. It can help you come up with solutions that your audience is dying to have. It can help you find new ways to relate to them.

The first step is to ask yourself: What do my customers need from me, and how can I help them get it? Once you've identified the needs of your audience, you can then start thinking about how creative solutions may be able to fill those needs for them. Or if you're bored with your existing marketing campaigns, try taking a new creative approach. Look at your data. See if there are any trends or patterns in customer behavior that suggest what they want from you. Then, think up some new ideas based on those insights.

Creativity leads to innovation

Creativity also helps us get unstuck when we're stuck in a rut by helping us think outside of the box. That way, we can find new ways forward. Even if those ways aren't directly related to what we were originally working on.

It'll help you come up with new ways to relate to your audience . It can help you solve any problems they didn't even know they had. It's also one of the cornerstones of innovation —keeping your business ahead of the curve and helping you stay competitive in an ever-changing marketplace. But creativity goes even beyond this.

That's because creativity can have a positive impact on our internal systems. Broadening our perspectives allows us to figure out how to solve internal issues in a fresh, innovative and creative way. With expanded thinking, companies can have a well-rounded process in place for solving unexpected issues.

Related: How Entrepreneurial Creativity Leads to Innovation

Creativity leads to solutions

Have you ever found yourself struggling to solve problems in your company? Have you been facing a challenge that seems insurmountable? An effective process that promotes creative solutions should be able to help your business overcome unforeseen challenges . It can help you find ways to resolve unconventional problems. In turn, this should help your company grow, which will increase profits.

Think of it this way: Never put limits on your options. See if changing this perspective helps you find a solution. By utilizing creativity, you can impact three areas of your business: efficiency, growth and success down the road. Because the reality is, entrepreneurship is full of figuring out how to open doors that were slammed in your face. But, once you're able to broaden your perspective and embrace your creative process, the possibilities are endless.

CEO Of Mawer Capital

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Creative Thinking, Essay Example

Pages: 1

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You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

It seems most people automatically think of the arts when “creative thinking” is the subject. I do that as well. Recently, however, I like to explore how completely open this concept is, because I am coming to realize that creative thinking can apply to virtually any single thing we engage in.

For example, I was struck by a strong example of creative thinking at the supermarket. It was not something exactly new, but I had never viewed it as the result of some seriously creative energy. It is a service we all have become familiar with; the scanning devices that allow you to ring up and pay for your own purchases without waiting in a checkout line.

On the face of it, I would guess that this is most often viewed as simply a business innovation, maybe a clever one, but nothing especially creative. I disagree. I think, in fact, that there must be many instances when truly creative thinking does not get credit as such because we quickly become used to what was not there before, and because, if it is not of an artistic nature, it cannot be really creative.

To me, what makes this ordinary service exceptional is that someone broke through paradigms of how supermarkets had always operated. It seems that having enough cashiers available must have always been an ongoing problem; how can any store know when, ten minutes after a lull, five loaded carts will be impatient at once? I think it is safe to say that, for decades, this problem was addressed through the expected channels, with managers continually urged to be as ready as possible. Nonetheless, the same limits were in place, because it is impossible to schedule enough workers when even predictable peak shopping hours contain spurts of unexpected business.

What makes me certain that creative thinking stepped in here is because, at some point, someone just said, “Why not let the customer check himself out? All we need are the same machines the cashiers use.” This may not have been brilliant thinking, but it was certainly radical and unexpected. It was creative openness of mind applied to a dull and ordinary problem, and it reveals how creative thinking is limited to nothing. Directed at anything, it can change anything.

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Business Ethics Journal Review

Edited by alexei marcoux & chris macdonald — issn 2326-7526.

About BEJR — Now 10 years in!
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Student’s Guide to Writing Critical Essays in Business Ethics (and beyond)

Here is some advice for writing critical essays, in business ethics but also in other fields. There is of course much more to say on the topic, but this is a start.

Writing your own critical essay:

What kinds of criticisms should you offer in your essay? There are a nearly infinite number of errors or problems that you might spot in an essay or book that you want to critique. Here are a few common ones to look for, to get you started:

Point out one or more logical fallacies. Did the author present a false dilemma , for example? Or an argument from ignorance ? Has the author presented a false analogy or a hasty generalization ?
Critique the scope of the author’s claim. For example, does the author claim that his or her conclusion applies to all cases, rather than just to the small number of cases he or she has actually argued for?
Point out unjustified assumptions. Has the author made questionable assumptions about some matter of fact, without providing evidence? Alternatively, has the author assumed that readers share some questionable ethical starting point, perhaps a belief in a particular debatable principle?
Point out internal contradictions. Does the author say two things that, perhaps subtly, contradict each other?
Point out undesirable implications / consequences. Does the author’s position imply, perhaps accidentally, some further conclusion that the author (or audience) is unlikely to want to accept, upon reflection?

In general, a good critical essay should:

Describe and explain in neutral terms the article or book being critiqued. Before you start offering criticism, you should demonstrate that you understand the point of view you are critiquing.
Be modest. Your goal should be to offer some insight, rather than to win a debate. Rather than to “show that Smith is wrong” or “prove that Sen’s view is incorrect,” you should set your aims on some more reasonable goal, such as “casting doubt” on the view you are critiquing, or “suggesting reason why so-and-so should modify her view.”
Be fair. Sometimes this is referred to as the “principle of charity.” It has nothing to do with donating money. Rather, it is about giving the other side what you owe them, namely a fair reading. Your goal is not to make the author whose work you are criticizing sound dumb. Rather, the goal is to make her sound smart, but then to make yourself sound smart, too, but showing how her view could be improved.
Be well structured . Professors love structure. Remember: a critical essay is not just a bunch of ideas; it is an orderly attempt to convince someone (in most cases, your professor) of a particular point of view. Your ideas will only have real punch if you put them in a suitable structure. That’s not all that hard. For example, make sure your opening paragraph acts as a roadmap for what follows — telling the reader where you’re going and how you propose to get there. Make sure each paragraph in the body of your essay has a main point (a point connected to the goal of your essay!) and that its point is clearly explained.
Stick to two or maybe three main arguments . “The three main problems with Jones’s argument are x, y, and z.”
Be clear. That means not just that your essay should be clearly structured, but also that each sentence should be clear. Proof-reading is important: get someone with good writing skills to proof-read your essay for you. If you can’t do that before your deadline, you can proof-read your essay yourself by reading it out loud. We’re serious. It is much easier to spot errors in your own writing if you read out loud.

A few more tips:

Cite your sources carefully. Use whichever citation method your professor says to use. If in doubt, use one of the established methods (such as APA or Chicago ). But whatever you do, make sure to give credit to the people whose ideas you use, if you want to avoid being charged with plagiarism.
Use what you’ve learned in class. Your professor would love nothing more than to know that you’ve been paying attention. So try to make use of some of the concepts discussed in class, or in your course textbook.
Don’t try to sound like an author. Just say what you want to say. Trying to sound like an author just leads people to use big words they don’t understand and to write complex sentences that overshoot their grammatical skills. Just write it more or less the way you would say it out loud, in short, clear sentences.
Follow instructions. Failing to follow instructions is easily the most common way students screw up when writing critical essays. Read the assignment instructions through carefully — twice! — and then if anything is unclear, ask your professor for clarification.

Looking for essay topics? Check out Business Ethics Highlights .

See also: The Concise Encyclopedia of Business Ethics

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Essay: Business notes: Creative problem solving

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1 Unit 1 – Creative problem solving 1.1 Introduction A business leader is expected to identify problems, implement solutions and find business opportunities. To do so, they must learn to plan, analyse situations, identify and solve problems (or potential problems), make decisions, and set realistic and attainable goals for the business/unit. These are the fundamental thinking/creative requirements for leadership, and these set direction to a successful future. Without this critical competence, you will have to rely on others to do your thinking for you, or you will simply have to learn to nurture your creative thinking skills which will help you on your journey towards successful business. Creative thinking forms part of this continuous problem solving process, and is the fundamental basis for facilitating in the development of solutions, new initiatives, products or services. In an entrepreneurial context, the end result of this process should be directly linked to a feasible opportunity in the market environment. Quote – What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us. – William Morrow The creative problem solving process consists of the following four steps: ‘ Problem analysis ‘ Solution analysis ‘ Decision analysis ‘ Solution implementation 1.2 The process The creative problem solving process consists of an important core process, namely the idea generation process see figure 1. This is an important step, especially if you need to come up with creative ideas for products, services, and processes, to solve a consumer problem. The idea generation process consists of the following four steps: ‘ Step 1 – Generating ideas ‘ Step 2 – Developing ideas into a concept ‘ Step 3 – Converting a concept into a tangible or intangible product ‘ Step 4 – Finally protecting the tangible or intangible product Figure 1 – The process of creative thinking (idea generation) Initially you need to understand the problem and find the root cause of the problem. Many techniques are available to find the causes of problems, you can use the 5 Why technique in this case, if you are familiar with it. The more advanced courses will describe how to use the major problem identification techniques, but this course will focus on the idea generation process. 1.3 Where to start In the entrepreneurial phase, the best way to start the idea generation process is when you are required to come up with a new product or service, to identify a potential consumer problem. Initially, focus on identifying problems in the area of your expertise (your knowledge base). If you have no knowledge of the problem, the product development stage could be a challenge for you. You will learn in the next section that not all problems are opportunities, and entrepreneurs should be careful as to how they approach this stage, when generating ideas in trying to identify a new product or service. 1.4 Problem versus opportunity In most cases, the idea-generation phase in the creative problem solving process is neglected. Individuals normally identify a problem or an opportunity (which may seem like an opportunity, but is actually just an idea), and then develop a new product in line with the new assumed idea or opportunity. It is therefore important to distinguish between an idea and an opportunity. Resources may be wasted if a mere idea is incorrectly perceived as an opportunity. Any opportunity is initially problem based (e.g. a coffee shop in a destination where there is a lack thereof, this creates several problem situations and potentially feasible opportunities for the entrepreneur). The creative thinking (idea generation process) involved, is the means to solving these problems, and bring forth solutions to the market problems, which create further opportunities. 1.4.1 Difference between problem and opportunity There is, however, a critical difference between a problem and opportunity. Consider the following: ‘ Is it an idea or an opportunity to develop a high speed train between two major cities which are not far from each other? Some may say it is a great idea, but when you need to pay R200 a day to make use of it, it is simply not an opportunity. Only a few people would make use of the service, resulting in a negative impact on the market. ‘ If it is possible to transport people between the two cities for a lower cost, say R10, it would possibly be a more feasible opportunity. Here is a good example of an opportunity – Around the turn of the twentieth century, a shoe manufacturer sent a representative to Africa, to open up a market in the undeveloped area in that continent. After exploring the culture for a month, the rep sent a telegram to the home office shouting, ‘Disaster! Disaster! These people do not wear shoes. Bring me home immediately!’ A short time later, another shoe company sent their agent to Africa for the same purpose. A month later his home office also received a telegram: ‘Opportunity! Opportunity! These people do not wear shoes! Triple production immediately!’ Quote – Every situation contains the potential for disastrous problems or unprecedented success. The event is what we perceive it to be. Unknown Now the question arises: How do I distinguish between an idea and an opportunity? Looking at above examples, every problem is not an opportunity, and it really depends at how you are looking at the problem. If you see a viable opportunity in a problem then you are looking at the problem with a different perception than most people (the glass is half full or half empty). From a business perspective all opportunities are not necessarily a viable opportunity, the market determines the available opportunities. Without the knowledge to interpret the market conditions, you could miss it totally in terms of your opportunity analysis. Table 1 shows the different industries in South Africa, the level of entrepreneurial activity, and how the same opportunity differs in each of these market areas. 1.4.2 The global entrepreneurship monitor The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ‘ specifically identified the entrepreneurial activity in the various industries of South Africa. It can be generalized to state that an industry with a high level of entrepreneurial activity, gives away more business opportunities (e.g. manufacturing, retail, hotel, restaurant and business services), while one with a lower level will indicate far less opportunities (e.g. agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing, finance, insurance, real estate and health, education and social services). If we analyse just one ‘high-opportunity’ industry, for instance manufacturing, it may be an opportunity today to manufacture a final product, and export it to an international market. A ‘low-opportunity’ industry, for instance insurance (especially in the market entry phase), may be negative as having an extremely high crime rate and insurance companies have to pay out claims at an alarming rate. It is also evident that low-opportunity industries may create feasible opportunities. An entrepreneur should therefore be wary of following a fad, (latest trend) and exploiting assumed opportunities in a ‘popular’ industry. Percentage of Entrepreneurs ISIC Category Start-ups New Firms Total Agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing 1,3 2,6 1,6 Mining, construction 9,7 5,0 4,1 Manufacturing 14,3 19,1 13,8 Transport, communications, utilities 9,8 0,7 8,0 Wholesale, motor vehicle sales, repairs 6,0 6,5 6,3 Retail, hotel, restaurant 40,8 47,7 43,5 Finance, insurance, real estate 0,3 5,2 1,4 Business services 10,1 7,9 9,4 Health, education, social services 2,6 0,7 2,3 Consumer services 11,0 3,5 9,7 Source: Driver. Wood, Segal & Herrington, 2001 Table 1 – The percentage of entrepreneurs in the different industries in South-Africa 1.4.3 What is an opportunity? What exactly is an opportunity and how does an entrepreneur exploit a feasible opportunity? According to Hesrich & Peters (2002), an opportunity is the process whereby the entrepreneur assesses whether a certain product, service or process, will yield the necessary earnings based on the resource inputs that are required to manufacture and market it. ‘ The nature of opportunities needs to be assessed – thus, what leads to the existence of an opportunity? The following factors may result in an opportunity: ‘ General and specific problems faced by consumers ‘ Market shifts ‘ Government regulations ‘ Competition There are two equally important criteria in the assessment of an opportunity. Firstly, the size of the market – will the number of customers reward the input and energy required, to create and deliver the product? Secondly, the length in terms of the frame of the opportunity (window of opportunity). For example, is the demand for this product only a short fashionable phenomenon or is it based on sustainable business, or how long will it take before someone else (a competitor), to grab the opportunity? These two aspects should also link directly to the personal skills and competence of the entrepreneur. For example, entrepreneurs with no skills or interest in information technology will not necessarily achieve their personal goals. They should rather venture into an opportunity which suits their experience and personality. 1.4.4 Transform opportunity into a business Table 2 shows how the development of a business plan links to the identification and evaluation of opportunities, the determination of the resources required and the eventual management of the enterprise. All of these factors play a significant role in the correct assessment of the business opportunity. This means that the business plan must explain in sufficient detail how the business will exploit the situation, to transform the opportunity, into solving a problem for the consumer, which generates extraordinary profits for the people involved. ‘ Identify and evaluate the opportunity Develop the business plan Determine the resources needed Manage the enterprise Creation and length of opportunity Real and perceived value of opportunity Risk and returns of opportunity Opportunity versus skills and goals Competitive situation Title page Table of contents Executive summary Description of business Description of industry Marketing plan Financial plan Production plan Organisational plan Operational plan Summary Appendices Existing resources of the entrepreneur Resource gap and available supplies Access to needed resources Management style Key variables for success Identification of problems and potential problems Implementation of control systems Source: Hisrich, R.D. & Peters, M.P. 2002: 40. Entrepreneurship. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Table 2 – Link between Opportunity and business plan 1.5 Instruction Exit and resume to your current page.

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The problem-solving and Creative Thinking

Describe each stage in the creative process, search for a personal challenge, techniques that have been used to develop curiosity, an initial and revised statement of the problem, list of questions, sources of their answers and their answers, list of ideas, two original and practical ideas.

The creative thinking process is responsible for unorthodox solutions to normal solutions. This thinking process mainly goes beyond what is known in order to explore what is unknown. There are various methods that have been identified as being part of creative thinking. These include; evolution, synthesis, revolution, changing direction and re-application. Evolution refers to the process by which products or ideas are gradually improved from one stage to another.

Synthesis is a creative process where two or more than two ideas are combined to create a new idea. Revolution in creative thinking describes the process where an individual comes up with a new solution to a problem. Re-application refers to creativity where an individual finds a new way to apply principles or objects. Changing direction refers to creative thinking where individuals change their perspective while addressing an issue.

The insight stage is the first stage in the creative thinking process. This stage is featured by the feeling of being overwhelmed by a problem. It involves comprehending that one is in a complex situation. The brain identifies a challenge that needs to be addressed by finding a solution to the situation (Ruggiero, 2009).

The second stage in this process entails stating the problem. Stating a problem is vital as the arrangement of thoughts with regard to the problem creates a perception of the problem. How a problem is perceived, is influential on the solution that will be used to solve it. It is therefore, vital to ensure that a problem is stated in a manner that will stimulate the most effective solution (Ruggiero, 2009).

The third stage is loosely referred to as saturation. It involves weighing out an issue. It involves a logical assessment of the situation that is posing a problem. This involves gathering, sorting and categorizing information. This information can be attained through various methods. The most commonly applied methods are extensive reading and observations. The aim of this process is to bombard the subconscious part of the brain with countless facts. These facts are then used by the subconscious to come up with a creative solution. It employs getting familiar with what has been established concerning a certain issue in order to stimulate original thought on the same issue (Ruggiero, 2009).

The fourth stage in creative thinking involves generating ideas. This occurs when one gets ideas on how to solve an issue. This stage involves formulating these solutions in a car manner. From there, one is able to decide which solution is the most viable with regard to the issue or problem at hand. Evaluation and implementation are focused on during this process. Such focus is administered by the logical way of thinking. An individual is able to analyze if the solution he or she has generated is worth pursuing. This may involve consultation with other sources of information like experts and peers. This also captures the motions involved in implementation and sustainability (Ruggiero, 2009).

As a student studying for my Bachelor’s Degree, I have a problem with the outlook of my apartment. This is a transitioning stage where the apartment’s image has to shift from reflecting a teenager to reflecting a mature individual. I first realized I did not like the apartment’s outlook when I read articles on design and architecture. My new interest in such articles opened up my expectations of how an apartment should reflect the personality of its inhabitants.

This was especially so in the way items were arranged as well as, the color on the walls and fabrics. My other challenge is the lack of financial resources to upgrade the look of my apartment. To have the feel and look I want for my apartment, I will have to purchase artwork, fabric, furniture and paint to reconstruct the space. However, my determination to have an apartment with a mature feel is strong, and I will find a way to work around these challenges and achieve my goal.

I used observation to find an aspect of my life that I could work on to improve my living quality. Observation entailed observing how people around me behaved and affected me. It also involved observing me as an individual and noting down subtle hints that I used while evaluating issues in my life. Observation helped me note down things and people who had a positive impact on my being. I was also able to note issues and individuals who had a negative impact on my being (Ruggiero, 2009).

This observation also prompted me to analyze issues that were imperfect. This led to a second stage where I was able to group things that I could manipulate for improved results and those that I could not change. I discovered that I had limited myself previously by classifying issues as beyond my control while they were actually within my control. I realized that I could manage most issues by ensuring that I maintained proper control on causal effects that would often result in results that I did not like (Ruggiero, 2009).

My problem is that I do not like the image represented by my apartment. It gives off the vibes of a teenager. This may be because the wallpaper was installed by the previous owner of the apartment. It has too many bright colors that irritate the eyes and brain.

I would like to redefine my apartment by using well-informed arrangements. This should improve the aesthetic value of my apartment. If such aesthetic value is achieved, I believe the apartment will attain a sense of maturity that will be reflected by the colors and items that will be in the apartment.

The final revision of my problem statement is an exact reflection of my current perception of the issue at hand. It also has well-defined results which any solution that I come up with should fulfill. This is vital as one is expected to weigh creative ideas against each other in order to determine which solution is the most effective.

Re-decorating a room requires financial resources, labor and an artistic theme. I gathered this information from reading articles on interior design.

How does one use available financial resources in a way that maximum output can be achieved from limited finances?
What alternate ways of attaining materials like art pieces and furniture are available?
How does an individual decide on what theme best fits an apartment?

All these questions can be answered by reading articles concerning those topics. Such articles are available in books and over the internet. There are also informative television shows that explain and demonstrate the interior design process.

The problem involves having an apartment that lacks a mature appeal. This is with regard to the color scheme employed, furniture and art pieces on display. The image portrayed by the apartment is immature. This makes me uneasy in a space that should offer me comfort after having a hard day.

Using limited resources can also achieve maximum output by ensuring that one has a list of items listed in order of their priority. One is able to decide on what items are basic and have to be purchased. Having such a list ensures that one spends money on items that will help them reach their goals in the most effective way that is possible.

There are alternative ways of attaining furniture and artwork apart from expensive stores and gallery shows. This mostly includes second-hand shops. One can obtain such items by being informed about individuals who are making significant geographical relocations. Such individuals usually sell off their household items in order to ease the transportation process. Individuals can also buy items and re-use them in their spaces for new purposes. A piece of furniture can be re-painted and act as an apiece for a space. One determines the theme of a room based on the items, color scheme and arrangement that is used in space (Crane & Buchholz, 2002).

Leave the room as it is

Re-decorate only part of my apartment

Choose a theme and reuse the materials I have to express that theme

Move to another apartment

The most practical thing would be to redecorate only half of the apartment for now. The rest of the apartment can be redecorated when I have enough money to support the operation. The other practical idea would be to re-use the materials I have to express a pre-defined theme for the apartment.

Crane, M., & Buchholz, B. (2002). Apartment living: New designs for urban living . Gloucester, Mass: Rockport.

Ruggiero, Vincent R. (2009). The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought . Longman Pub Group.

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Grade 11 Business Studies Past Papers and Memos (South Africa)

This page contains Grade 11 Business Studies past exam papers and memos (South Africa). You can browse and download question papers and memos for your revisions (2019, 2018 May/June, October, November).

Table of Contents

Critical Topics for Term 1 Revision

Influences on and control factors influencing business environments.
Challenges in business environments
Adapting to challenges in business environments
Impact and challenges of contemporary socioeconomic issues on business operations
Business sectors
Benefits of a company versus other forms of ownership
Avenues of acquiring a business

Critical Topics for Term 2 Revision

Creative thinking and problem solving Stress, crisis and change management
Transform a business plan into an action plan Starting a business venture based on an action plan Professionalism and ethics
Presentation of Business Information

Critical Topics for Term 3 Revision

Assessment of entrepreneurial qualities in business Citizenship roles and responsibilities
Marketing activities, marketing in the formal and informal sectors Use of technology for marketing
Imports and exports
Foreign marketing
The alignment of foreign marketing and the production function Production function
Team Stages, dynamics theories and conflict management
Introduction to the Human Resources function

Download Grade 11 Business Studies Past Papers and Memos

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Business Studies grade 11 2016 Exams (English and Afrikaans) question papers:

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Why passing Grade 11 is very important

Grade 11 ultimately prepares you for Grade 12. You regard Grade 11 as your last trial run for your Matric year because most of the work covered in the syllabus will prepare you for Matric anyway. Passing your Grade 11 very well, is usually a sign that you may pass very well in Matric.

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How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating and analyzing information. People who use it in everyday life are open to different opinions. They rely on reason and logic when making conclusions about certain issues.

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A critical thinking essay shows how your thoughts change as you research your topic. This type of assignment encourages you to learn rather than prove what you already know. In this article, our custom writing team will:

explain how to write an excellent critical essay;
introduce 30 great essay topics;
provide a critical thinking essay example in MLA format.
🤔 Critical Thinking Essay Definition
💡 Topics & Questions
✅ Step-by-Step Guide
📑 Essay Example & Formatting Tips
✍️ Bonus Tips

🔍 References

🤔 what is a critical thinking essay.

A critical thinking essay is a paper that analyses an issue and reflects on it in order to develop an action plan. Unlike other essay types, it starts with a question instead of a thesis. It helps you develop a broader perspective on a specific issue. Critical writing aims at improving your analytical skills and encourages asking questions.

The picture shows the functions of critical thinking in writing.

Critical Thinking in Writing: Importance

When we talk about critical thinking and writing, the word “critical” doesn’t have any negative connotation. It simply implies thorough investigation, evaluation, and analysis of information. Critical thinking allows students to make objective conclusions and present their ideas logically. It also helps them avoid errors in reasoning.

The Basics: 8 Steps of Critical Thinking Psychology

Did you know that the critical thinking process consists of 8 steps? We’ve listed them below. You can try to implement them in your everyday life:

It’s possible that fallacies will occur during the process of critical thinking. Fallacies are errors in reasoning that fail to provide a reasonable conclusion. Here are some common types of fallacies:

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Generalization . It happens when you apply generally factual statements to a specific case.
Ambiguity . It occurs when the arguments are not clear and are not supported by evidence.
Appeal to authority . This mistake happens when you claim the statement is valid only because a respected person made it.
Appeal to emotion . It occurs when you use highly emotive language to convince the audience. Try to stay sensible and rely on the evidence.
Bifurcation . This mistake occurs when you choose only between two alternatives when more than two exist.
False analogy . It happens when the examples are poorly connected.

If you want to avoid these mistakes, do the following:

try not to draw conclusions too quickly,
be attentive,
carefully read through all the sources,
avoid generalizations.

How to Demonstrate Your Critical Thinking in Writing

Critical thinking encourages you to go beyond what you know and study new perspectives. When it comes to demonstrating your critical thinking skills in writing, you can try these strategies:

Read . Before you start writing an essay, read everything you can find on the subject you are about to cover. Focus on the critical points of your assignment.
Research . Look up several scholarly sources and study the information in-depth.
Evaluate . Analyze the sources and the information you’ve gathered. See whether you can disagree with the authors.
Prove . Explain why you agree or disagree with the authors’ conclusions. Back it up with evidence.

According to Purdue University, logical essay writing is essential when you deal with academic essays. It helps you demonstrate and prove the arguments. Make sure that your paper reaches a logical conclusion.

There are several main concepts related to logic:

If you want your essay to be logical, it’s better to avoid syllogistic fallacies, which happen with certain invalid deductions. If syllogisms are used carelessly, they can lead to false statements and ruin the credibility of your paper.

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💡 Critical Thinking Topics & Questions

An excellent critical thinking essay starts with a question. But how do you formulate it properly? Keep reading to find out.

How to Write Critical Thinking Questions: Examples with Answers

Asking the right questions is at the core of critical thinking. They challenge our beliefs and encourage our interest to learn more.

Here are some examples of model questions that prompt critical thinking:

What does… mean?
What would happen if…?
What are the principles of…?
Why is… important?
How does… affect…?
What do you think causes…?
How are… and… similar/different?
How do you explain….?
What are the implications of…?
What do we already know about…?

Now, let’s look at some critical thinking questions with the answers. You can use these as a model for your own questions:

Question: What would happen if people with higher income paid more taxes?

Answer: It would help society to prosper and function better. It would also help people out of poverty. This way, everyone can contribute to the economy.

Question: How does eating healthy benefit you?

Answer: Healthy eating affects people’s lives in many positive ways. It reduces cancer risk, improves your mood and memory, helps with weight loss and diabetes management, and improves your night sleep.

Critical Thinking Essay Topics

Have you already decided what your essay will be about? If not, feel free to use these essay topic examples as titles for your paper or as inspiration. Make sure to choose a theme that interests you personally:

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What are the reasons for racism in healthcare?
Why is accepting your appearance important?
Concepts of critical thinking and logical reasoning .
Nature and spirit in Ralf Waldo Emerson ’s poetry.
How does technological development affect communication in the modern world?
Social media effect on adolescents.
Is the representation of children in popular fiction accurate?
Domestic violence and its consequences.
Why is mutual aid important in society?
How do stereotypes affect the way people think?
The concept of happiness in different cultures.
The purpose of environmental art.
Why do people have the need to be praised ?
How did antibiotics change medicine and its development?
Is there a way to combat inequality in sports ?
Is gun control an effective way of crime prevention?
How our understanding of love changes through time.
The use of social media by the older generation.
Graffiti as a form of modern art .
Negative health effects of high sugar consumption.
Why are reality TV shows so popular?
Why should we eat healthily ?
How effective and fair is the US judicial system?
Reasons of Cirque du Soleil phenomenon.
How can police brutality be stopped?
Freedom of speech : does it exist?
The effects of vaccination misconceptions.
How to eliminate New Brunswick’s demographic deficit: action plan.
What makes a good movie ?
Critical analysis of your favorite book.
The connection between fashion and identity .
Taboo topics and how they are discussed in gothic literature .
Critical thinking essay on the problem of overpopulation .
Does our lifestyle affect our mental health ?
The role of self-esteem in preventing eating disorders in children .
Drug abuse among teenagers.
Rhetoric on assisted suicide .
Effects of violent video games on children’s mental health.
Analyze the effect stress has on the productivity of a team member.
Discuss the importance of the environmental studies .
Critical thinking and ethics of happy life.
The effects of human dignity on the promotion of justice.
Examine the ethics of advertising the tobacco industry.
Reasons and possible solutions of research misconduct.
Implication of parental deployment for children.
Cultural impact of superheroes on the US culture.
Examine the positive and negative impact of technology on modern society.
Critical thinking in literature: examples.
Analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on economic transformation.
Benefits and drawbacks of mandatory vaccination .

Haven’t found a suitable essay idea? Try using our topic generator !

✅ How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay Step by Step

Now, let’s focus on planning and writing your critical thinking essay. In this section, you will find an essay outline, examples of thesis statements, and a brief overview of each essay part.

Critical Thinking Essay Outline

In a critical thinking essay, there are two main things to consider: a premise and a conclusion :

A premise is a statement in the argument that explains the reason or supports a conclusion.
A conclusion indicates what the argument is trying to prove. Each argument can have only one conclusion.

When it comes to structuring, a critical thinking essay is very similar to any other type of essay. Before you start writing it, make sure you know what to include in it. An outline is very helpful when it comes to structuring a paper.

The picture enumerates the main parts of a critical essay outline: introduction, main body, conclusion.

How to Start a Critical Essay Introduction

An introduction gives readers a general idea of an essay’s contents. When you work on the introduction, imagine that you are drawing a map for the reader. It not only marks the final destination but also explains the route.

An introduction usually has 4 functions:

It catches the reader’s attention;
It states the essay’s main argument;
It provides some general information about the topic;
It shows the importance of the issue in question.

Here are some strategies that can make the introduction writing easier:

Give an overview of the essay’s topic.
Express the main idea.
Define the main terms.
Outline the issues that you are going to explore or argue about.
Explain the methodology and why you used it.
Write a hook to attract the reader’s attention.

Critical Analysis Thesis Statement & Examples

A thesis statement is an integral part of every essay. It keeps the paper organized and guides both the reader and the writer. A good thesis:

expresses the conclusion or position on a topic;
justifies your position or opinion with reasoning;
conveys one idea;
serves as the essay’s map.

To have a clearer understanding of what a good thesis is, let’s have a look at these examples.

The statement on the left is too general and doesn’t provide any reasoning. The one on the right narrows down the group of people to office workers and specifies the benefits of exercising.

Critical Thinking Essay Body Paragraphs: How to Write

Body paragraphs are the part of the essay where you discuss all the ideas and arguments. In a critical thinking essay, arguments are especially important. When you develop them, make sure that they:

reflect the key theme;
are supported by the sources/citations/examples.

Using counter-arguments is also effective. It shows that you acknowledge different points of view and are not easily persuaded.

In addition to your arguments, it’s essential to present the evidence . Demonstrate your critical thinking skills by analyzing each source and stating whether the author’s position is valid.

To make your essay logically flow, you may use transitions such as:

Accordingly,
For instance,
On the contrary,
In conclusion,
Not only… but also,
Undoubtedly.

How to Write a Critical Thinking Conclusion

In a critical thinking essay, the notion of “conclusion” is tightly connected to the one used in logic. A logical conclusion is a statement that specifies the author’s point of view or what the essay argues about. Each argument can have only one logical conclusion.

Sometimes they can be confused with premises. Remember that premises serve as a support for the conclusion. Unlike the conclusion, there can be several premises in a single argument. You can learn more about these concepts from the article on a logical consequence by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Keeping this in mind, have a look at these tips for finishing your essay:

Briefly sum up the main points.
Provide a final thought on the issue.
Suggest some results or consequences.
Finish up with a call for action.

📑 Critical Thinking Essays Examples & Formatting Tips

Formatting is another crucial aspect of every formal paper. MLA and APA are two popular formats when it comes to academic writing. They share some similarities but overall are still two different styles. Here are critical essay format guidelines that you can use as a reference:

Finally, you’re welcome to check out a full critical essay sample in MLA format. Download the PDF file below:

Currently, the importance of critical thinking has grown rapidly because technological progress has led to expanded access to various content-making platforms: websites, online news agencies, and podcasts with, often, low-quality information. Fake news is used to achieve political and financial aims, targeting people with low news literacy. However, individuals can stop spreading fallacies by detecting false agendas with the help of a skeptical attitude.

✍️ Bonus Tips: Critical Thinking and Writing Exercises

Critical thinking is a process different from our regular thinking. When we think in everyday life, we do it automatically. However, when we’re thinking critically, we do it deliberately.

So how do we get better at this type of thinking and make it a habit? These useful tips will help you do it:

Ask basic questions. Sometimes, while we are doing research, the explanation becomes too complicated. To avoid it, always go back to your topic.
Question basic assumptions. When thinking through a problem, ask yourself whether your beliefs can be wrong. Keep an open mind while researching your question.
Think for yourself. Avoid getting carried away in the research and buying into other people’s opinions.
Reverse things. Sometimes it seems obvious that one thing causes another, but what if it’s the other way around?
Evaluate existing evidence. If you work with sources, it’s crucial to evaluate and question them.

Another way to improve your reasoning skills is to do critical thinking exercises. Here are some of them:

Thanks for reading through our article! We hope that you found it helpful and learned some new information. If you liked it, feel free to share it with your friends.

Gr. 10 T3 W1 Business Studies Lesson Plan: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving

2020 Gr 10 Business Studies Lesson Plan: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving

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Learning skills such as design thinking and creative problem-solving can help job seekers set themselves apart when applying to roles. Creativity and Design Thinking. While creativity is highly important in business, it's an abstract process that works best with a concrete structure. This is where design thinking comes into play.
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Strategy Needs Creativity. An analytic framework alone won't reinvent your business. by. Adam Brandenburger. From the Magazine (March-April 2019) Eddie Guy. Summary. When business school ...
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1. Put Yourself in a Box. Creative thinking is about "thinking outside the box," but putting limitations on your problem-solving can help you think more freely and innovatively. For example, if someone tells you to make dinner, you may struggle to come up with a meal you don't always cook.
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Creative thinking is the process of nurturing your imagination allowing you to "think out of the box". Being able to train your mind to think creatively helps you invent, problem-solve, create and communicate in fresh, new ways. Moreover, studying art and design, along with diverse disciplines, provides a rich tapestry of perspectives and ...
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Creativity in the workplace is an ability individuals possess that allows them to develop new and imaginative ideas regarding processes, products or materials. Businesses can use creativity in the workplace to create innovative solutions or more positive and collaborative work environments. The creative process also involves asking questions or ...
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All we need are the same machines the cashiers use.". This may not have been brilliant thinking, but it was certainly radical and unexpected. It was creative openness of mind applied to a dull and ordinary problem, and it reveals how creative thinking is limited to nothing. Directed at anything, it can change anything.
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Creative thinking is looking for new ways to solve a problem. Creative thinking requires four main processes: openness, curiosity, invention, and imagination. Openness: being able to accept new ...
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techniques to solve business problems. • Apply creative thinking skills to solve complex business problems. • Explain the benefits/advantages of creative thinking in the workplace. • Discuss/Evaluate the impact (positives/negatives) of creative thinking/problem solving techniques, e.g.: o Delphi technique o Force field analysis
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The editors of the Business Ethics Journal Review hope that BEJR provides good examples of how to write a critical essay. Each of the Commentaries we publish is a short critical essay aimed at a single paper published in another scholarly journal. In each of the Responses we publish, the author whose work was critiqued…
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PAGES 7 WORDS 2568. creative thinking are important tools that can help a person in both their professional and their personal lives. As Pascal said, "We are but thinking reeds, but because we know, we are superior to the universe. Thought constitutes our greatness" (as cited in Kirby, Goodpaster & Levine, 1999, p. xix).
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Creative thinking and lateral thinking solve problems successfully. Problem solving skills: Business use the following to solve problems: 1) Identify the problem 2) Define the problem 3) Formulate strategy 4) Implement strategy 5) Allocate resources 6) Monitor strategy 7) Evaluate process
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Business sectors; Benefits of a company versus other forms of ownership; Avenues of acquiring a business; Critical Topics for Term 2 Revision. Creative thinking and problem solving Stress, crisis and change management; Transform a business plan into an action plan Starting a business venture based on an action plan Professionalism and ethics
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• Week 1 - 2: Creative thinking and problem solving- page 102 - • Week 3: Business opportunity and related factors- page 72-• Week 4: Presentation of business information- page 86-• Week 5 - 6: Business plan- page 92-1 Contribution of creative thinking to. sustainable and successful practice. Thinking about something new or original.
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2. Distill The Problem And Seek Answers. Distill the problem down to a single sentence with a number and directly ask the team for an answer. Make sure they understand the mission, the guiding ...
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stimulates/promote creative thinking 2 Ways in which a business can create an environment that; Week 8: 6 - 12 March. 1 PROBLEM SOLVING 1 Meaning of problem solving It is the process of analysing a situation to identify strategies that can be used to change the situation. Problem solving requires creative thinking. Problem solving is a mental ...
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T1 W5 Gr 12 Business Studies Lesson: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving. Free. Download. Type: pdf. Size: 0.28MB. Share this content. 2021 FET Term 1 Week 5 Gr 12 Business Studies Lesson: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving.
How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline
write the abstract is a single paragraph (around 250 words). Format. double-spaced with 1-inch margins; page header with page numbers on the flush right; 10-12-point font. make the paper double-spaced with 1-inch margins; create a page header with page numbers flush right; use an 11-12-point font. In-text citations.
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Gr. 10 T3 W1 Business Studies Lesson Plan: Creative Thinking & Problem
2020 Gr 10 Business Studies Lesson Plan: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving. 2020 Gr 10 Business Studies Lesson Plan: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving ... 2020 Gr 10 Business Studies Lesson Plan: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving. Language: English. Curriculum Alignment: CAPS aligned ...