Managerial creativity and its development supported by artificial intelligence: a comparative perspective between Europe and Asia and empirical evidence from industrial enterprises

Managerial creativity is a key competency for ensuring innovation and competitiveness in the context of globalization and rapid technological change. This paper analyses the factors influencing managers' creative thinking, methods for its development and organizational strategies, with a comparative look at European and Asian approaches. Findings suggest that Asian organizations favour collective creativity, structured learning, and technocentric AI integration, while European models emphasize individual autonomy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a human-centered AI ethic. The study combines a qualitative literature review with a quantitative survey of 109 L&D professionals in industrial enterprises in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The results showed moderate effectiveness of internal learning processes, with adaptation of new employees, inadequate measurement of outcomes and low motivation to learn being the main barriers. Information flow was often restricted by outdated processes. However, respondents showed high interest in using AI to support personalisation, onboarding and the development of creative thinking. Based on the analysis, a model of AI supporting 'augmented creativity' is proposed, where generative AI acts as a partner to develop divergent thinking and flexibility in problem solving. The study also highlights ethical and organisational challenges, such as automation bias or the risk of limiting creative autonomy, and recommends a hybrid approach combining a European focus on individual initiative and ethics with an Asian collective responsibility and technology focus.