Motives for strategic alliances in cultural and creative industries

Abstract

Cultural and creative industries are gaining importance in Western economies. In these industries, as in several other business sectors, micro-firms, i.e., firms that employ fewer than ten employees, are the predominant firm type. As these industries have become an integral part of most economies, the literature has started to explore the strategic behavior of cultural and creative microfirms. Although micro-firms are characterized by certain specificities that can affect how likely they are to engage in external relationships, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning collaboration through strategic alliances in this specific context. Seeking to advance the understanding of partnerships between micro-firms in cultural and creative industries, the purpose of this article is to reveal the specific motives for engaging in strategic alliances in this context. In doing so, we focus on six case studies of strategic alliances between micro-firms in cultural and creative industries in France. Our results show that strategic alliances involving creative micro-firms seek the reduction of overspecialization, target a high degree of quality of life and pleasure at work, and are envisaged only if there is trust and mutual support among the partners. Moreover, opportunism and necessity motivations guide the creative micro-firms' decision to enter strategic alliances.

Individual motivation among entrepreneurs in the creative and cultural industries: A self‐determination perspective

“…Taken together, these findings suggest the existence of a trade‐off between autonomy and commercial viability rather than one between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, at least in the minds of the subjects of our study. Our study proposes the narrative that, guided by lifestyle and hedonistic objectives (Gundolf et al, ), creative entrepreneurs experience a pleasure in doing what they want to be doing while trying to make a living out of those activities, which sometimes requires them to give up on total freedom of action. In this manner, our research supports the conclusion by Gundolf et al, (, p. 10) that in the specific context of the creative industries, “what may be considered a necessity from an economic perspective may be considered an opportunity for the creative entrepreneur pursuing the maintenance of his quality of life”, by demonstrating that creatives are driven by both necessity (money) and opportunity (pleasure) factors.…”

“…A better awareness of the precariousness of such work patterns and the competitive disadvantages that self‐employed may face vis‐à‐vis larger firms operating in the CCI, could foster the need for entrepreneurial skills, and render creatives more resilient when taking part in those industries. Prioritizing art for art's sake and lifestyle values only, may stand in the way of an attitude that nurtures, for example, firm growth and strategic alliances (Gundolf et al, ; Loots & van Witteloostuijn, ). That said, our findings hold challenges for policymakers and educators as well.…”

“…The blending of work and social life accommodates particular lifestyle values within individuals' professional and social identities. For example, recent evidence suggests that a “bohemian lifestyle”, which often concords with a devotion to the arts for art's sake, is a vital source of work motivation among creative entrepreneurs (Gundolf, Jaouen, & Gast, ). McRobbie (, p. 74) observes that “passion” is a key value in the creative economy, strong enough to lead workers to model their identity around it, and articulates that “the ethos of ‘passionate work’ […] envelops the identity of the cultural entrepreneur and […] decorates his or her publicity material as a kind of statement of intent and declaration of suitability for participation in this sector.” Here, the economic and institutional forces driving creative professionals to be independent workers, conveniently converge with a desire to self‐actualize (see also Tokumitsu, ).…”

“…The blending of work and social life accommodates particular lifestyle values within individuals' professional and social identities. For example, recent evidence suggests that a "bohemian lifestyle", which often concords with a devotion to the arts for art's sake, is a vital source of work motivation among creative entrepreneurs (Gundolf, Jaouen, & Gast, 2018).…”

Growth strategies in creative industries

“…Storey, Salaman, and Platman () argue that the imbalance in supply and demand has led to a labour market in which firms increasingly hire artists on a project basis instead of hiring them as employees, thus minimizing long‐term commitments and attendant costs (DeFillipi, ). In addition, firms in the CIs are often very small or micro firms with narrow specializations, which seek external resources through strategic alliances (Gundolf, Jaouen, & Gast, ). This means that businesses in the CIs can be very flexible, which in turn might explain the findings of De Propris () that after the 2008 financial crisis, firms in the CIs in the UK recovered faster than others.…”