Showing papers in "Creativity and Innovation Management in 2006"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that artists in the creative industries have to bridge the gap between artistic work and the economic need for self-management, and that a bohemian lifestyle essentially supports them in doing so.
Abstract: By linking lifestyle studies with creative industries research, this article opens a new perspective on creativity and innovation management. We argue that artists in the creative industries have to bridge the gap between artistic work and the economic need for self-management, and that a bohemian lifestyle essentially supports them in doing so. The bohemian lifestyle, which is characterized by a devotion to art for art’s sake, is an essential source for work motivation of artists and an increasing number of other creative workers. The article draws upon an empirical study into artistic work and employment in German theatres. Enacting a bohemian lifestyle enables actors as ‘bohemian entrepreneurs’ to integrate intensive selfmanagement and self-marketing as well as subordination of private life to work into their artistic work life. Analysing the link between lifestyle and creative work is crucial for understanding the way in which creative workers become artists and, at the same time, entrepreneurs of their creative talent.
273 citations
TL;DR: It is shown how these concepts of knowledge management and organizational learning may be usefully integrated with organizational creativity and innovation within a single framework that combines the apprehension of knowledge with the creative utilization of such knowledge.
Abstract: We argue that current concepts of knowledge management and organizational learning are, by themselves, limited in their ability to improve organizational effectiveness. We show how these concepts may be usefully integrated with organizational creativity and innovation within a single framework that combines the apprehension of knowledge with the creative utilization of such knowledge. Field research and experience are described showing how this framework has been applied to achieve measurable improvements in effectiveness in a wide range of organizations.
185 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual model of innovation speed for SMEs was developed and tested with 158 projects across several technology-related industries, and it was found that SMEs had different speed antecedents from large firms, had their antecedent vary by radicalness and found speed to be synergistic with efficiency, quality and project success.
Abstract: In this era of fast-paced technological change companies are frequently forced to quickly bring innovative products to a competitive marketplace. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in innovative contribution and growth of the global economy, yet face unique challenges with regard to new product development. To date scholars disagree on the effect of firm size on the antecedents and outcomes for innovation speed. We review the relevant literature, develop a conceptual model of innovation speed for SMEs and test it with 158 projects across several technology-related industries. Results revealed that SMEs had different speed antecedents from large firms, had their antecedents vary by radicalness and found speed to be synergistic with efficiency, quality and project success. Implications for managers and scholars are discussed.
164 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the degree of conflict that the different types of project teams experienced and found that the project life cycle is a significant moderator of the conflict-creativity relationship in different project teams.
Abstract: Intra-team conflict research has shown the different effects of conflict on team output, but it has not fully addressed how conflict influences the team creativity process in different task types of project teams over the project life cycle. Conflict, project life cycle, and project types are important predictors of team creativity. This paper focuses on examining the degree of conflict that the different types of project teams experienced, and more specifically this paper seeks to understand the benefits and detriments of conflict on the team creativity process. Furthermore, this paper shows that the project life cycle is a significant moderator of the conflict-creativity relationship in different project teams.
149 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors synthesize the research literature that reports on the impact of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) training carried out within organizational contexts, that is training programs that involved professionals or students working on real business challenges.
Abstract: A major focus within the field of creativity has been on the development of methodologies aimed at deliberately nurturing creative thinking. These methodologies have attempted to mirror the creative process in ways that allow individuals and groups to explicitly call on and employ their creative faculties. In an attempt to uplift employees’ creative capabilities many of these methodologies have been introduced into organizations through training programs, as well as through application to business challenges. Do these methods work? What is the empirical evidence that these deliberate creative process methods enhance employees’ creativity? Though there are a handful of creative process methods, few have married the concern for application with an interest in demonstrating the benefits of these applied efforts through systematic research. Creative Problem Solving (CPS), one of the more popular creative process models, has been one of the rare exceptions. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the research literature that reports on the impact of CPS training carried out within organizational contexts, that is training programs that involved professionals or students working on real business challenges. Additionally, the positive benefits of CPS are further examined through reports that cite the outcomes of applying CPS to business challenges. In a field replete with methods that have been commercialized, it is imperative to strike a balance between research and practice as an imbalance towards practice may foster a field dominated by individuals who offer untested products and services.
141 citations
TL;DR: The Novelty Generation Model (NGM) introduced in this paper offers a new perspective to understand the processes of novelty-seeking and novelty-finding in creativity and innovation literature, which can not only improve human resource management in creative work settings, but also help creative professionals to better understand and manage themselves.
Abstract: Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.
Samuel Johnson, 1751
Why are some people constantly on the move towards something new, while others feel comfortable with what there is? What motivates us to seek for the new? What helps us in finding it? What leads us to transform what we find into a product that is visible to others and expose us to their judgement? Research in psychology holds fascinating insights concerning the above questions. Surprisingly, neurocognitive and neuropsychological insights that could lead to a better understanding of the processes of novelty-seeking and novelty-finding, have received little attention in the creativity and innovation literature. Especially for those working in professions where the generation of the new is the core business, it would be highly relevant to know more about those biological parameters of novelty generation and especially how they make human beings behave in professional environments. Such knowledge can not only improve human resource management in creative work settings, but also help creative professionals to better understand and manage themselves. The Novelty Generation Model (NGM) introduced in this article offers a new perspective.
108 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the linkage between the entrepreneurial orientation of established firms and the development of radical innovation through five case studies in firms involved in radical innovation, and suggest that proactiveness, risk-taking and autonomy stimulate the creation of new arenas of business where existing competitors are not present.
Abstract: This paper explores the linkage between the entrepreneurial orientation of established firms and the development of radical innovation. Through five case studies in firms involved in radical innovation, three propositions are developed, suggesting that proactiveness, risktaking and autonomy stimulate the development of radical innovation, whereas competitive aggressiveness does not necessarily do so, as radical innovations are directed towards the creation of entirely new arenas of business, where existing competitors are not present.
106 citations
TL;DR: The limitations of the first generation of creativity management technologies based on the psychological theories of intelligence and problem-solving are discussed in this article, where the turn into a cultural and systemic conceptions in the psychology of creativity is analysed.
Abstract: This article discusses the limitations of the first generation of creativity-management technologies based on the psychological theories of intelligence and problem solving. The turn into a cultural and systemic conceptions in the psychology of creativity is analysed. It is argued that this psychology converges with the ideas developed in the sociology of knowledge, the history of technological systems, and activity theory as well as in innovation studies. All of them underline the significance of artefact-mediated communities, domains or practices. They agree on the importance of combining heterogeneous cultural resources and knowledge by horizontal networking across the boundaries of knowledge and activity domains. The internet-mediated new communities are discussed as emerging forms of distributed creation. A challenge for the management of creativity is to study and learn from the emerging problems, means and patterns of conduct of these communities.
93 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors suggest that leadership, creativity and innovation are knowledge systems which can be more closely integrated for improved theory and practice within communities of practice, and reveal nine overlapping themes, within each of which leadership plays a part in the production of creative insights or innovative productivity.
Abstract: Articles published in Creativity and Innovation Management volumes 1–9 (1991–2000) have been examined for their contributions to understanding of leadership as a process contributing to creativity and innovation. The study reveals nine overlapping themes, within each of which leadership plays a part in the production of creative insights or innovative productivity. However, for many authors, leadership remains an implicit factor within their models of change. We suggest that leadership, creativity and innovation are knowledge systems which can be more closely integrated for improved theory and practice within communities of practice.
91 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of polarity on team creativity were examined based on a sample of 51 research and development teams (R&D teams) and the results showed that polarity positively influences the creative performance of R&D efforts.
Abstract: Creativity is essential for research and development efforts. Research and development endavours are typically organized in teams. Unfortunately, little is known about how the polarity or in other words the conflict potential determines the creativity of such teams. Based on a sample of 51 research and development teams (R&D teams), this study examines the effects of polarity on team creativity and attemps to explore situational conditions when conflict potential is detrimental or facilitating R&D team creativity. The results show that foremost in the conceptualization phase of R&D efforts polarity positively influences the creative performance of R&D teams, whereas at lower degrees of complexity or in situations later in the development cycle polarity negatively impacts the creative performance of R&D teams.
87 citations
TL;DR: Research shows that the Creative Product Semantic Scale has helped businesses in testing for marketability, new product design, product improvement and enhancement of advertisements, and future applications of the CPSS include improving the screening of ideas, diagnosis of brand problems, competition analysis, and team processes.
Abstract: The advantages to businesses of using the Creative Product Semantic Scale (CPSS), a reliable, valid instrument that measures novelty, resolution, and style, are presented. The word ‘product’ is broadly defined to include an idea, proposal, process, prototype, or tangible product. Research shows that the CPSS has helped businesses in testing for marketability, new product design, product improvement and enhancement of advertisements. Future applications of the CPSS include improving the screening of ideas, diagnosis of brand problems, competition analysis, and team processes. A new on-line version of the CPSS provides a convenient method of administration.
TL;DR: In the UK film industry, despite freelance working, crew and technicians follow highly specialized, hierarchical careers, and that the organization of production is virtually the same as it was at the height of the Hollywood "Studio System".
Abstract: The growth of project-based forms of organization has been interpreted as a response to rapidly changing technological and market environments. Companies operating in this way are assumed to be inherently innovative, continually breaking up and reconfiguring teams of workers whose highly developed skills enable them to multi-task and apply their knowledge in novel situations, in which new technology is swiftly assimilated and deployed. Project workers, who may engage in repeat contracting with different employers, belong to technical communities wherein knowledge is developed and resides. The transformation from vertical integration to project-based working in the film industry would thus appear to privilege innovation. However, in the UK film industry at least, this study suggests that, in spite of freelance working, crew and technicians follow highly specialized, hierarchical careers, and that the organization of production is virtually the same as it was at the height of the Hollywood ‘Studio System’. Furthermore, it will be argued that the informal, reputational networks that operate in the UK industry may act as a barrier to development rather than as an engine of change.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe and analyze how creative organizations develop and use routines and processes to strengthen their creative capabilities using an exploratory framework based in resource-based theory and creativity literature.
Abstract: This paper describes and analyses how creative organizations develop and use routines and processes to strengthen their creative capabilities. Using an exploratory framework based in resource-based theory and creativity literature, it focuses on the role of the creative entrepreneur as a key component for organizations developing creative capabilities. The creative entrepreneur or agent builds collaboration, exploits knowledge and enhances relationships in and out of an organization. Drawing on three in-depth case studies from different sectors (theatre, sports and software), the article expands the idea of creative capabilities to encompass routines and processes in organizations in industries generally not considered ‘creative’. Furthermore, it outlines how the creative entrepreneur is instrumental in developing and using the creative routines so that they form creative capabilities. Based on the analysis, the article discusses creative capabilities, collaboration in the process, and the creative entrepreneur’s role in developing and using them.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review and evaluate a well-accepted continuous improvement development model, namely the CI Maturity Model (Bessant and Caffyn, 1997), against data collected from the 2nd Continuous Improvement Network Survey and a number of empirical cases described in the literature.
Abstract: There are a number of tools available for organizations wishing to measure and subsequently develop Continuous Improvement (CI). In this article, we review and evaluate a well-accepted CI development model, namely the CI Maturity Model (Bessant and Caffyn, 1997), against data collected from the 2nd Continuous Improvement Network Survey and a number of empirical cases described in the literature. While the CI Maturity Model suggests that CI maturation ought to be a linear process, the findings in this article suggest that there are feasible alternatives for companies to develop CI capability.
TL;DR: According to the American economist Richard Florida, none of these three factors are fundamental growth drivers: in the end, he says, economic growth is driven by human creativity and because creativity flourishes best in an urban environment, it is a vibrant city that will be the ultimate powerhouse of future economic development as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: What is the main source of economic growth in the twenty-first century? If we listen to today’s analysts and politicians, the answer to this question comprises something like ‘competition’, ‘knowledge’ or ‘technology’ According to the American economist Richard Florida, however, none of these three factors are fundamental growth drivers: in the end, he says, economic growth is driven by human creativity – and because creativity flourishes best in an urban environment, it is a vibrant city that will be the ultimate powerhouse of future economic development Roughly speaking, this is the main message of the two international bestsellers under review Since the publication of his first book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida has been on the road across the world Mayors, policy makers and scientists they all ask him for his vision on the city The popularity of Florida has only grown with the publication of his second book, The Flight of the Creative Class, in which he takes a more global perspective on the relationship between creativity, cities and economic growth
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the creative process in organizations is a matter of political strategies and propose a crea-political process model in which there is ample room for the thought that ideas emerge and survive within a social-political context.
Abstract: Creativity management is a crucial topic to consider in the debate about the innovative research department. Against the background of discussions about individual creativity and organizational commitment, this article argues that the creative process in organizations is a matter of political strategies. The ideator literally has to sell his/her idea. The article therefore comes up with a crea-political process model in which there is ample room for the thought that ideas emerge and survive within a social-political context. In addition, the crea-political process model is used to analyse the way in which the Corus Group Research Development and Technology (RD&T) department has implemented an electronic idea-management system. The system, called eureka!, has been designed as a straightforward platform to capture, review, evaluate and select creative ideas. The findings challenge the literature on idea management in organizations to consider the political activities of ideators in the whole process of creativity.
TL;DR: In this paper, an alternative view of creativity, drawing in particular on the thinking of the philosopher Gilles Deleuze, is proposed, in terms of what "creativity" is and what it is not, and the destructive nature of creativity.
Abstract: Create/Innovate or die. This is the taken-for-granted ‘truth’ in the social, political and economic context in which we currently live. In fact, so accepted is this mantra that criticism seems foolish; mere evidence of the entrenched conservatism that needs to be challenged. This article posits an alternative view of creativity, drawing in particular on the thinking of the philosopher Gilles Deleuze. The writing of Deleuze is used to explore our understanding of creativity, in terms of what ‘creativity’ is (and what it is not), and the destructive (and sometimes pointless) nature of creativity. In doing so it is hoped that this article challenges cliched representations of ‘creativity’, the typical ‘creativity is wonderful and we need a lot more of it . . .’ type arguments and assist scholars to become more creative (or at least more reflective) in their own practice.
TL;DR: The article concludes that innovative and creative work needs to be able to exploit a variety of competencies and that the notion of phronesis has to date been relatively under-theorized and therefore deserves more detailed attention.
Abstract: This article presents a study of the knowledge work involved in the development of video games. The success of these games is based on the ability to create a sense of immersion for the gamers. In the case presented here, dedicated gamers were also preferred when hiring personnel to develop the games. Speaking about the know-how of this specific group in terms of phronesis, the detailed and practical understanding of a particular field, enables an understanding of the idiosyncratic competence of this group and its importance for the development process. The video game development process is also structured to enable an open-ended process under the continuous influence of the gamers. The article concludes that innovative and creative work needs to be able to exploit a variety of competencies and that the notion of phronesis has to date been relatively under-theorized and therefore deserves more detailed attention.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the impact of uncertainty on entrepreneurial performance in the UK theatre industry and identify the major determinants of demand uncertainty, audience composition, critical acclaim and media coverage, whose management is key to entrepreneurial success.
Abstract: This article considers the impact of uncertainty on entrepreneurial performance in the UK theatre industry. The article identifies and evaluates the major determinants of demand uncertainty – audience composition , critical acclaim and media coverage – whose management is key to entrepreneurial success. An in-depth historical case study of the controversial production, Jerry Springer the Opera , analyses the evolution of these three distinct sources of uncertainty and illustrates that they should not be treated in isolation since they interact in complex ways which change with time. The case study shows how the entrepreneurs involved used a multistaged production process as a strategy to market test their product and to distribute their risks across agents and over time. The article therefore considers what contributed to both the successes and failures of these entrepreneurs as well as highlighting important strategic lessons for managing uncertainty in creative industries.
TL;DR: The authors examines the notion of the new and its associative concepts such as novelty, newness, originality, which are so central to the organization creativity and innovation literature and examines the ontological and epistemological assumptions regarding the idea of new.
Abstract: This paper examines the notion of the new (and its associative concepts such as novelty, newness, originality) so central to the organization creativity and innovation literature. Rather than taking the idea of the new and novelty for granted, the ontological and epistemological assumptions regarding the idea of the new deserve a proper analysis. In this article, an empiricist philosophical tradition of thinking represented by for instance James and Deleuze is examined. While rationalist traditions of thinking are praising the new and novelty as an extraordinary event, empiricism conceives of creation and novelty as continually taking place in the restless change innate to being. In empiricist thinking, the idea of the new is something of a truism because new connections and assemblages are continuously produced in the course of action. Thinking of creation and innovation as not extraordinary events but a regular operation may open up for alternative views of creativity and innovation management previously neglected or marginalized.
TL;DR: In this article, a survey of 407 managers from three services organizations, a retailer, a professional accounting firm and a bank, revealed that the overall correlations between Integrity (socially responsible, trustworthy, sincere, honest) and Innovation (innovative, exciting, spirited, imaginative); between Courage (leading, ambitious, achievement-oriented) and innovation; and between Employee Satisfaction and Innovation could be both positive, negative or without strong relationship, depending upon the culture of the firm.
Abstract: This study involves a survey of 407 managers from 3 services organizations, a retailer, a professional accounting firm and a bank It revealed that the overall correlations between Integrity (socially responsible, trustworthy, sincere, honest) and Innovation (innovative, exciting, spirited, imaginative); between Courage (leading, ambitious, achievement-oriented) and Innovation; and between Employee Satisfaction and Innovation could be both positive, negative or without strong relationship, depending upon the culture of the firm Both the retailer and professional accounting firm are regarded as aggressive and tough in nature However, while one managed to link Innovation to a self-image for social responsibility, the other believed that they have to be less sincere, trustworthy or socially responsible in order to remain innovative and competitive One consequence is that the retailer is prosperous and successful, while the large accounting firm failed to maintain its market leadership The implication for managers is that Innovation based reputation is sustainable only if it is linked positively to both Integrity and Courage
TL;DR: In this paper, a structured and comprehensive concept of the initiative emergence process is proposed, including task-related, action-related and cognitive competences, and a competence-based model is developed to explain the occurrence of initiatives.
Abstract: The initiation of the innovation process has recently produced increased interest among the new product development scholars. While most extant research has focused on the management of opportunity recognition, of the development of new product concepts and of concept selection, little research has examined the initiative emergence process. With this article the authors intend to shed some light on the starting point of initiative formation by outlining a structured and comprehensive concept of the initiative emergence process; investigating individual competences facilitating initiative emergence, including task-related, action-related and cognitive competences; and developing a competence-based model for helping explain the occurrence of initiatives. For future research, the authors develop propositions on the impact that different competency constellations have on initiatives along their emergence process, and on factors that determine how to support competences for initiatives adequately.
TL;DR: In this paper, an analysis of eight prospectors, twenty-seven analysers and seven defenders (Miles and Snow, 1978) suggests that the improvement motives and practices of these three types of strategies are less different than we expected.
Abstract: Marketing, strategic management and contingency theory suggest that different strategies require different practices. The new product development (NPD) literature, however, hardly addresses the product development practices needed to support different strategies. An analysis of eight prospectors, twenty-seven analysers and seven defenders (Miles and Snow, 1978) suggests that the NPD improvement motives and practices of these three types of strategies are less different than we expected. Our explanation for this finding is that the three strategic types are growing towards each other, forced by changes in competition and enabled by new technologies and management concepts.
TL;DR: The concept of post-originality was introduced by as mentioned in this paper as a way to understand how time and reproductive acts can be understood in relation to the innovative process of creating the new.
Abstract: This article represents an inquiry into the ontology of innovation, that is, the foundational issues of innovation and how we conceive of the nature of innovation and creativity. By juxtaposing the notions of novelty and copying, the article introduces the concept of ‘post-originality’ as a way to understand how time and reproductive acts can be understood in relation to the innovative. Looking at how innovation and creativity are hailed as the highest forms of economic action, while copying and derivation have often been viewed as somewhat lesser forms, the article thus discusses how moralizations affect the way in which we view the economic. Specifically building on the works of German polymath Walter Benjamin and his theories of time, ruin and redemption, the article connects with the philosophy of history, and by way of three mini-cases, presents three tentative modes of the post-original (derivation, knock-offs and remixes), showing how these can each in their own way raise interesting issues regarding the role of copying in creating the new. We end with a reflection on the notion of the event in innovation, inspired by the French philosopher Alain Badiou and his engagement with the truth of the event.
TL;DR: In this paper, a new theoretical foundation on the dynamics of entrepreneurial intentions and outcomes in creative industries arises, and it unpacks the initial stage of innovation where organizations are newly created by employing micro viewpoints such as individuals and partnerships.
Abstract: Many scholars have researched in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation; nevertheless, little attention has been given to a causal relationship between these two concepts; entrepreneurial intention and innovation. In the conventional view, a single outstanding entrepreneur has an intention to induce innovation, and connects market opportunities and resources. However, this view cannot fully explain the situation of entrepreneurial activities led by a team. This article presents a new research framework in entrepreneurship research. First, an entrepreneur can have a relational intention that leads to constructing a partnership. Second, such a partnership, not an individual entrepreneur, has an emerged innovative intention that leads to carrying out innovation in order to establish the competitive advantage. Adopting this framework, we examine cases in the Japanese film industry and clarifying the relational development between entrepreneur’s intention and innovation. From this study a new theoretical foundation on the dynamics of entrepreneurial intentions and outcomes in creative industries arises, and it unpacks the initial stage of innovation where organizations are newly created by employing micro viewpoints such as individuals and partnerships.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined a sample of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) firms in Australia drawn from a wide range of product and service providers in the Sydney region and found that ICT firms still see their sales force, customers and suppliers as the most important sources of innovation knowledge and ideas.
Abstract: This paper examines a sample of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) firms in Australia drawn from a wide range of product and service providers in the Sydney region. It researches the sources of information and ideas that firms utilize to sustain their competitive position through innovation. While the firms in the survey varied in size in terms of turnover, number of employees and level of business activity, most see themselves as innovative. Not all firms utilized the same sources of innovation-related knowledge and most used research and technology organizations (RTOs) or other publicly funded sources of information for help with ‘technical’ (standards etc) or trade issues. While ICT firms are often regarded as leading-edge developers of new ideas, this research indicated that ICT firms still see their sales force, customers and suppliers as the most important sources of innovation knowledge and ideas.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the creation of new knowledge always happens through a crisis in which the body trembles, where new and unforeseen connections between the individual and the organization becomes possible.
Abstract: Two routes to the creation of the new dominate the current literature on innovation: one is guided by fantasy, brainstorms and free interaction, the other one is focused on knowledge-sharing technologies and the implementation of new organizational forms. Eventually, however, this article rejects both routes, further arguing that innovation is a matter of details and the work invested in creating such details. The body plays a crucial role here, and a case from weapon design innovation exemplifies this insight: that the creation of new knowledge always happens through a crisis in which the body trembles. This crisis is called an event where new and unforeseen connections between the individual and the organization becomes possible.
TL;DR: The most obvious pitfalls that prevent valid importance assessments appear in this phase are described and a few simple instruments may provide better-founded importance judgements that can be better communicated to other actors involved in innovation processes.
Abstract: Innovations can be seen as chains of non-routine decisions. With each decision, the innovator has to assess how important the various decision attributes are. Because the decisions are non-routine, innovators cannot fall back on judgements of past importance. Most decision support methods elicit importance judgements but do not help innovators or other decision-makers with the mental processes leading to the judgment. The ‘importance assessment process’ can be divided into seven phases (such as (sub-)attribute processing and various forms of weighting). The phase ‘(sub)-attribute processing’ is the most important phase in terms of effort devoted to it, and the most obvious pitfalls that prevent valid importance assessments appear in this phase. This article describes some of these pitfalls. A few simple instruments may provide better-founded importance judgements that can be better communicated to other actors involved in innovation processes.
TL;DR: The authors explore the concept of the new through enquiring into the role of the body, thus opening categories that may allow a sensing of the affective "new" in organizing processes.
Abstract: In this paper we seek to explore the concept of the ‘new’ through enquiring into the role of the body, thus opening categories that may allow a sensing of the affective ‘new’ in organizing processes. We use various theoretical concepts such as ‘repetition’ and ‘habitual appropriation’ to look at modern dance. We aim to show how the investigation of embodied processes allows us to make links between the old and the new, the creative and the unimaginative, and ultimately may help us to generate an infinite array of creative practices.
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative case study of the transformations of the infrastructure of the Danish film field by the Danish Film Institute and its CEO, three basic questions about entrepreneurial agency are raised.
Abstract: Using a qualitative case study of the transformations of the infrastructure of the Danish film field by the Danish Film Institute and its CEO, three basic questions about entrepreneurial agency are raised. The first deals with the relationship between the institutional environment and the personal backgrounds of entrepreneurial actors. The study finds that certain actors can be seen as possessing extreme or unique levels of legitimacy resulting in being rewarded with tremendous resources and opportunities for strategic action. The second question has to do with how, and what sort of role transformations can take place from a structurally central, but static position in a field. Here ‘intermediary entrepreneurialism’ was used to penetrate and integrate the field in such a way as to turn a structurally fixed position from a weak to a strong nexus. The third question deals with how transformations can be effected by an organization that straddles three prominent institutional fields and logics – the state, market and artistic expression. Here, the key role of the term ‘professionalization’ is emphasized, arguing that this term proved evocative and compelling in each institutional field. The case also adds to our understanding of institutional and transformation processes in creative industries by focusing on two less-studied contexts – the role and strategies of centrally placed actors in initiating and leading transformational activities, and the role that entrepreneurial ‘bureaucrats’ can play in transforming creative industries.