MANAGEMENT OF ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

This course contributes to the overall learning objectives of the degree in Economics and Administration of Arts and Culture, by training students to look at arts organizations as, first of all, organizations, with a strong case-based and critical approach. It provides students with some conceptual tools to familiarize with the managerial dimension of arts organizations, inviting them to acknowledge the specificity and complexity of cultural settings which require careful managerial approaches.

By the end of the course, students are expected to have developed a solid understanding of the nature, the logics, and the main issues of managing arts organizations.
In particular, students are expected to:
1) have developed an understanding of what management is, and what is specific to it in arts organizations;
2) be able to understand how arts organizations work and sustain themselves (in their main operational, economic and accounting aspects);
3) be able to recognize and discuss arts management issues in real-world situations, and critically reflect on them.
4) Have developed or stengthened abilities of case-based learning: specifically, to analyse, present and critically discuss a case study in public, to recognize elements of theory in case studies, and to mobilize evidence from case studies to illustrate theoretical concepts.

Basic knowledge of management and accounting. The course favourably welcomes students with a critical approach and with initiative, as well as the willingness to actively participate to the group work (strongly recommended) and to class discussions with constructive questions and comments that may benefit all participants.

The course is articulated in 4 main blocks:

1) SETTING THE SCENE (Week 1)
In this block, we will define the core concepts of the course, addressing the question of “what are we talking about?”. We will define what management is (levels, types, and functions of management), and we will reflect on the specificities of arts organizations and arts managers, with a focus on today’s main features, past trends, and future challenges.
Background readings: chapters 1, 2 of the textbook.

2) THE UNDERLYING “BUSINESS MODEL” OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS (Weeks 2-4)
In this block, we will address the question of “how do arts organizations work and sustain themselves?”. For this purpose, we will introduce the concept of business model as an analytical framework, and we will focus on its main elements: strategic and operational aspects; organizational and people aspects; economic aspects.
Background readings: chapters 4, 8, 9 of the textbook.

3) CONTROL, PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ARTS ORGANIZATION (Week 5)
In this block we will draw a reflection on why and how arts organizations should be accountable, to whom and for what.
Background readings: selected papers on arts organization and accountability.

4) RECAP AND CONCLUSION (Week 6)
In this final block, we will review the main course contents and conclusions.

Byrnes, W. (2022). Management and the Arts. Routledge - Chapters: 1, 2, 4, 8, 9

Case Studies and selected papers (they will be communicated throughout the course, in class and on Moodle).

The evaluation will be in 30/30, structured as follows:

- 50% of the final grade - PRESENTATION + FINAL REPORT: Students will be asked to reconstruct and analyse the business model of an arts organization of their own choice. Precise instructions on content, structure and deadlines will be given in class and on Moodle.

- 50% of final grade - WRITTEN EXAM: 3 open-ended questions based on the textbook chapters, slides, and on the case studies discussed during the course.

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Regarding the grading scale, marks will be assigned as follows:


A. 18-22 range (out of 30)

- Sufficient knowledge of the textbooks and related topics;

- Limited ability to use data and form independent judgments:

- Sufficient communication skills.


B. 23-26 range (out of 30)

- Fair knowledge of the textbooks and related topics;

- Fair ability to use data and form independent judgments;

- Fair communication skills.


C. 27-30 range (out of 30)

- Good or excellent knowledge of the textbooks and related topics;

- Good or excellent ability to use data and form independent judgments;

- Fully appropriate communication skills.


D. The “laude” - or honours - will be awarded to students with excellent knowledge and comprehension of the textbooks and related topics.

The course will alternate theory-based teaching (in ordinary lectures) and case-based learning (in case study seminars).
The purpose of the case study seminars is to have the students apply the theoretical concepts reviewed in the prior lectures to a real-world case, in order to get a more vivid understanding of the theoretical concepts.
Prior to the case study discussion, the students will be given an assignment questions and will have to work at home to analyse the case and answer to the questions in a written forum on Moodle.