Fostering excellence in business model management in arts and cultural organisations: insights from focus group research across Europe
Abstract
Purpose
In today’s business landscape, arts and cultural organisations are challenged to search for excellence of their business model management to create and deliver value in a more sustainable way. This study develops exploratory focus groups aimed to capture insights into the practical challenges, wants and needs that arts and cultural organisations across Europe address and face in managing and developing their business models.
Design/methodology/approach
The focus groups method has been applied. The methodology included seven focus groups involving arts and cultural organisations operating in different European countries.
Findings
The overall feeling emerging from focus groups is that there is an increasing pressure to prove the value of culture, e.g. economic, social and civic, progressively more in quantitative figures. Arts and cultural organisations are greatly concerned about their financial health, and their ability to continue creating and presenting great arts and cultural events. At the same time, there is an acceptance that gaining financial resilience and sustainability can no longer be put off. Organisations are conscious that it is crucial to rethink their way of operating and to improve their value creation mechanisms to get sustainability. Nevertheless, the challenges to face and issues of change to get a more effective business model management are numerous and various.
Originality/value
The study sheds more light on “business dimensions” perceived by arts and cultural organisations across Europe, as particularly crucial for their survival and requiring proper management attention. In doing this, it offers fresh and valuable knowledge about aspects, factors and dimensions to take into account in the managing business model.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper presents some insights of the research develop alongside the project “Creative Lenses” – Cooperation Agreement “Creative Lenses” – Creative Europe 2014, Cultural Sub Program, European Cooperation Project – Cat. 2 Large managed by EACEA – Agreement number: 2015–1141/001–002.
Citation
Carlucci, D. (2018), "Fostering excellence in business model management in arts and cultural organisations: insights from focus group research across Europe", Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 14-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBE-12-2017-0094
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited