Where the Art is: Defining and Managing Creativity in New Media SMEs

Abstract

This paper examines the definition and management of creativity in the ‘creative industries’. Initially the paper sets out the economic and cultural context for the emergence of the creative industries, before going on to argue that there are gaps in our understanding of the role of creativity and particularly the management of creativity within these industries. Based on research undertaken with new media SMEs in the North West of England, the paper then explores the ways in which creativity is defined and managed within this sub–sector. It is shown that the meanings attached to creativity are variable and contested and that the precise definition and management of creativity is strongly determined by the internal workplace culture, and the external social and economic conditions within which firms operate. It is further suggested that while creativity is often seen as a ‘must have’ attribute for new media firms it may also, conversely, be considered a barrier to commercial success. The paper concludes that if we are to understand work and production in the creative industries, and offer institutional support for firms to develop and sustain creativity for competitive advantage, it may be necessary to develop a more detailed understanding of the role of creativity and creative management as both a general and specific, socially embedded process.

Innovation and Knowledge in the Digital Media Sector

“…While the creative industries approach appears to be increasingly popular in policy circles in recent years it amounts to a rather arbitrary category, both conceptually and in operational terms. Critics, including Banks et al (2002), Hesmondhalgh (2002Hesmondhalgh ( , 2005, Galloway and Dunlop (2007), and Rossiter and Lovink (2007), have identified a range of problems with the creative industry approach. The criticisms are important for our concerns with conceptualizing the specificity of the knowledge inputs and innovative activities within the digital media sector.…”

Making Places While Building Networks. An exploration of the role of the urban environment in book publishing

“…Creative clusters can provide entrepreneurs with a flexible workforce possessing expertise and creativity, low labour costs, and high productivity. Other authors have put less emphasis on the economic rationale behind clustering and have paid more attention to the importance of social relationships within clusters (Crewe & Beaverstock, 1998;Gordon & McCann, 2000;Pratt, 2000;Banks et al, 2002). In line with social network theory (Granovetter, 1985) these authors assert that clustering results from a combination of economic opportunities and social integration.…”

“…Most studies on creative industries depart from the level of the firm and focus on the advantages for creative firms of being located in a cluster (e.g. Crewe & Beaverstock, 1998;Scott, 1998Gordon & McCann, 2000;Pratt, 2000;Banks et al, 2002). These authors state that creative firms profit from being geographically proximate to each other since proximity generates more opportunities for face-to-face contact and informal knowledge exchange.…”

We Are Always After That Balance: Managing Innovation in the New Digital Media Industries

“…In the computer games industry the dilemmas of innovation versus organisation, exploration versus exploitation, autonomy versus control are particularly pronounced as the expectation of creativity and innovation are deemed the most defining feature of the industry and the career identities constructed therein (Christopherson, 2004; Game development is risky and the commercial success of a game under development is uncertain (Banks et al, 2002). Even where revenue streams are generated by commercial games developed to client specifications, i.e.…”