The role of aesthetic knowledge in the creative process of expert chefs

Stierand, Marc and Mainemelis, Charalampos (Babis) and Dörfler, Viktor and Sadler-Smith, Eugene (2016) The role of aesthetic knowledge in the creative process of expert chefs. In: EGOS 2016, 2016-07-07 - 2016-07-09, University of Naples Federico II.

Full text not available in this repository.Request a copy

Abstract

Creative process research has identified the role of certain cognitive abilities, affective processes, and personality traits in the creative process, but has accorded less emphasis to the role of aesthetic knowing in this process. In this study we contribute a set of empirical findings which portray that aesthetic knowledge plays a fundamental role in the creative process of creative leaders, namely world-renowned chefs. First, we show that chefs refer to a creative sensibility that reflects their competency of using aesthetic knowledge experientially in response to aesthetic impressions. Then, we illustrate how the process of experiential aesthetic knowing is framed by three symbolic reflection points of aesthetic reflexivity. Finally, we depict how this aesthetic knowing process leads to symbolic aesthetic knowledge as style. Through this empirically rich study from the perspective of the originator's experience we seek to enrich the field of organizational creativity research by theorizing aesthetic knowledge as an important dimension of the creative process.