Final answer:
Brainstorming is a creative technique used within organizations to encourage divergent thinking, where a variety of ideas are generated without immediate judgment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The technique used to give free rein to creativity within organizations is brainstorming. Brainstorming encourages divergent thinking, which is the process of generating creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Unlike convergent thinking, which seeks a single, well-established answer, divergent thinking involves thinking 'outside the box' to generate unique, multiple solutions to a problem.
In a typical brainstorming session, a group of people come together to explore a wide variety of ideas and possible solutions, allowing for the free flow of thoughts without immediate criticism or rejection. This often includes idea dumps and design sessions where all potential approaches are considered before narrowing down to feasible solutions. Brainstorming is particularly useful in design and problem-solving contexts within engineering, business development, and strategic planning, among other fields.