Purpose The overall purpose of this research is to further our understanding of how managers in Egypt perceive creativity and innovativeness. The paper also examines the construct validity of two measures of creativity and creativity barriers in order to gain further insights into the factors stimulating or hindering creativity in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 170 managers was used to achieve the research purpose. Based on the upper‐echelon perspective, the sample slightly favours high‐level managers. Respondents completed a 77‐item instrument designed to assess stimulants‐to‐creativity in the organisational workplace. A 17‐item barriers‐to‐creativity instrument was also used to assess barriers to creativity in Egypt's organisations. Findings The study detected a statistically significant difference in attitudes towards organisational creativity based on the managers’ functional areas in the organisation. The study also shows that the greater the education of the manager, the more he or she is likely to adopt creative and innovative activities. Using thet‐test procedure, no generation gap was detected in the managers’ attitudes towards organisational creativity. Finally, the study showed that male managers have significantly favourable attitudes towards creativity compared with their female counterparts. Originality/value This study has provided some insights into the factors associated with organisational creativity and creativity barriers in an Arab, non‐Western context. The more is known of how managers perceive creativity, the more quickly and efficiently creativity can be stimulated, thereby allowing other global players to capitalise on opportunities for innovation and partnering that will emerge as markets open in the Middle East.
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