Genre‐deviating artist entry: the role of authenticity and fuzziness

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to conceptually elaborate two important mechanisms, authenticity and fuzziness, that affect how audiences react to deviations from existing genres by artists that are making their first entry. In cultural industries such as music, social categorization systems play an important role in the success of actors. Audience members evaluate entering artists vis‐à‐vis the existing, collective system of categories and related normative social codes, and may or may not impose penalties for code violations.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper and the conceptual framework is built on recent theorization regarding social categories in organizational fields. A key premise is that such categories, including musical genres, are fuzzy with blurred boundaries and partial membership. Such fuzziness is likely to affect organizational viability and dynamics.

Findings

Based on the conceptualization, the baseline proposition is that artists making their first entry are likely to face higher penalties by audiences if they deviate from existing genres. However, the higher the idiosyncratic authenticity of an artist, the smaller such penalties are. Moreover, we expect penalties to be smaller when genre fuzziness increases.

Practical implications

Besides contributions to theory, the propositions that are stated in the paper should have relevance to record companies and artists when they are making strategic decisions regarding artist identity upon first entry.

Originality/value

The paper offers a novel perspective to extant research in music regarding genres, categories, and organizational identities. Furthermore, the paper contributes to recently emerged sociological theory on fuzzy categories and authenticity.

Citation

Mattsson, J.T., Peltoniemi, M. and Parvinen, P.M.T. (2010), "Genre‐deviating artist entry: the role of authenticity and fuzziness", Management Decision, Vol. 48 No. 9, pp. 1355-1364. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741011082107