Innovation and creativity are highly encouraged in Islam. Islam also fortifies Muslims to embed ihsan, an Islamic concept of striving to achieve perfection, in all aspect of their lives including when inventing or innovating new products. Innovation, without being bounded by the divine shariah guidelines, might lead to destructive innovation, for example, animal or human cloning. In the context of tertiary education, being highly innovative and creative are the indispensable qualities of first-class minded graduates that would help them to compete in the ever challenging job market. Although innovative and creative thinking cannot be taught, it can be nurtured through the activities that the students participate during the course of their study, for instance through them developing their own product innovation. Thus, this research applied a qualitative case study approach in understanding the role of ihsan in nurturing innovation and creativity among university students. The case was an innovation show event organized by the Faculty of Business and Management at UiTM Pahang, a semesterly affair where students were given the opportunity to exhibit their product innovations. This study discusses the process of development of the students’ product innovation from the initial idea until their participation in the innovation show event and demonstrates how ihsan concept plays a significant role in guiding the entire process of innovation. This study finally proposes that encouraging students to innovate their own products and to practice ihsan while doing so, should be one of universities’ agenda to foster the culture of innovation and creativity among university students.
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In-Text Citation: (Sarkam, Mustapha, Kader, Tajuddin, & Muhamad, 2018)
To Cite this Article: Sarkam, S. F., Mustapha, M., Kader, M. A. R. A., Tajuddin, N., & Muhamad, N. S. (2018). Ihsan, Innovation and Creativity in Students’ Product Innovation: The Case of Innovation Show Event at UiTM Pahang. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(2), 645–657.
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