The Spectrum of Creativity in Scientific Research: A Scientometric Analysis of Incremental and Radical Creativity

Abstract

Creativity plays a significant role in the development of new products and provides sustainable solutions. It is also an essential component of a successful organization. Development in bibliometrics tools has paved the way to address interdisciplinary research questions. Recently, there has been a trend among researchers to attain research objectives through bibliometrics or scientometric analyses. These methods have implications for research and product development. The primary research objectives of such a study are to investigate research trends, collaborations, research themes, impact, application, and knowledge advancement within a particular domain of incremental and radical creativity of such measurements in policy and management contexts. For this purpose, we used VOS viewer software for analysis and 2494 articles collected from 1999 to 2023 inclusive from the Web of Sciences database, based on keywords. Our results indicated the English language as a main source of publication. The USA was a leading country in incremental and radical creativity research, followed by the People's Republic of China and England. The Journal of Product Innovation Management was most productive in incremental and radical creativity. The Polytechnic University of Milan and Xián Jiao Tong University were leading organizations. The keyword radical innovation appeared frequently, followed by innovation. Present research findings provide valuable information across diverse industries, mainly those involved in product development, innovation, and strategic planning, as well as business, management, and academia. It also offers critical insight that can significantly influence managerial decisions, particularly research and development (R&D) and organizational resource allocation. Moreover, it demonstrates the applicability to the changing demands of researchers and practitioners. In addition to advancing scholarly knowledge of creativity, it adds something special to the body of knowledge and is useful for both present and future research as well.