In this paper we aim to identify major obstacles for creativity in organizations characterized by a high focus on product development efficiency. The way these obstacles are perceived by the different individuals involved in product development is investigated. Different perceptions are compared and the contradictory views on creativity obstacles in product development are discussed. From our study, nine creativity obstacles relevant for organizations with a strong focus on efficiency emerge. These barriers were mainly related to the professional environment, e.g. “short-term efficiency focus” can be related to time constraints, while “unclear innovation strategy” concerns a lack of goals. Also barriers related to the environment emerged, i.e. “no forum for capturing ideas” exists. Self-imposed barriers, like the lack of interest for innovation, did not emerge in this study. Our case company seems to have problems in finding structures for balancing the demands on product development efficiency and creativity.