Sustainability issues dominate current political and scientific debates. This topic is also increasingly finding its way into the cultural sector. The aim is not only to strengthen the cultural perspective of sustainability, but also to place greater emphasis on sustainability aspects and the resulting challenges for cultural institutions and their management. Theaters play an important role here due to their constantly growing value chain. However, there has been little research into sustainability strategies in theater management to date. Germany takes a special position in the theater landscape due to its federal structure, in view of the lack of standards and considerable heterogeneity in the financing and implementation of sustainability aspects. Based on a nationwide survey of German theater companies, the article analyzes the role that sustainability aspects currently play in the German theater landscape. The focus of the study is on spatial differences as well as a comparison between public and private theater companies regarding sustainable theater management. Our research shows that some strategies already exist but only for specific areas such as energy and resource consumption. However, there is a lack of holistic sustainability strategies that consider all aspects. Following on from this, the opportunities and challenges for establishing and improving sustainability strategies in theater management are discussed in this article. https://doi.org/10.59876/b-2mvt-w7wy https://boutique.gestiondesarts.hec.ca/en/product/sustainability-in-the-theater-management-opportunities-and-challenges-in-establishing-sustainability-strategies-in-the-german-theater-landscape/
The theater industry faces significant challenges related to high production costs, inefficient resource management, and environmental impacts, jeopardizing its long-term sustainability. Digital transformation presents a potential solution, but its effective implementation in the theater sector remains limited. This case study explores the SCENA project, an innovative digital platform that addresses these issues by optimizing operational processes, promoting sustainability, and fostering creative collaboration. SCENA uses advanced technologies such as 3D visualization and scenic asset digitization to facilitate resource reuse, reduce waste, and introduce a circular economy model in the theater sector. By analyzing similar international solutions and highlighting the Italian context, the case study provides insights into the broader adoption of digital technologies in the cultural sector, with implications for resource management, cost reduction, and environmental impact. Additionally, the SCENA project offers key managerial insights on how digitalization can drive systemic changes in cultural organizations, providing decision-makers with concrete strategies for improving resource efficiency, reducing costs, and fostering sustainable innovation in the performing arts sector. https://doi.org/10.59876/b-p00a-gewa https://boutique.gestiondesarts.hec.ca/en/product/the-scena-project-digital-asset-management-in-the-theater-industry/
Cultural capital is recognized as a key determinant of cultural consumption. While previous research has demonstrated a positive relationship between cultural capital and the frequency of cultural participation, its impact on the diversity of cultural consumption remains underexplored. This study empirically examines how cultural capital influences the breadth of cultural consumption in South Korea. The findings reveal that cultural capital significantly increases cultural consumption diversity. Specifically, recent engagement in cultural activities has a more significant impact than past education. A stratified analysis by income level highlights the role of public policy interventions in fostering cultural capital among disadvantaged populations. Furthermore, an age-based analysis shows that cultural diversity peaks in young adulthood and declines with age, reflecting historical gaps in cultural education for older generations in South Korea. These results underscore the need for cultural policy initiatives to enhance cultural consumption diversity across socioeconomic groups.
This study constitutes the first application of contingent valuation (CV) to a public archive. It addresses a gap in the field of cultural economics, which is traditionally focused on museums, libraries, and environmental heritage. The Public Archive of Minas Gerais (APM)-Brazil's oldest archival institution and the focus of this valuation-posed methodological challenges owing to its hybrid cultural and administrative functions and limited public visibility. To mitigate information bias, respondents were provided with detailed descriptions of the institution's services prior to valuation. A survey of 366 individuals was carried out online and in-person between October 2023 and March 2024. It measured cultural practices, socio-demographic characteristics, familiarity with the archive, and willingness to contribute either through the allocation of tax revenues or via non-recurring donations. Descriptive statistics and a Probit regression model were employed to identify determinants of willingness to pay. The findings indicate strong recognition of the institution's cultural values, but a low awareness of its civic roles. This study advances the application of CV methodology to under-researched cultural institutions and provides empirical evidence to support improved communication strategies and policy frameworks for archives.
In line with transportation theory, narrative realism enhances transportation and persuasion in advertising. Our research investigates motion-picture trailers-narrative advertisements for films-and posits that less realistic trailers impose greater cognitive effort, exploring whether activating fantastical thinking facilitates processing unrealistic ads and thereby moderates the realism-transportation relationship. Two experiments using motion-picture trailers (realistic vs. unrealistic ads and high vs. low fantastical thinking) confirm that realistic ads achieve higher transportation and persuasiveness. Additionally, the studies reveal: (1) fantastical thinking moderates the positive impact of narrative realism on persuasion; (2) individuals with low fantastical thinking are more transported and persuaded by realistic ads; (3) differences in transportation and persuasion due to realism diminish for individuals with high fantastical thinking; and (4) those with high fantastical thinking experience heightened transportation and persuasion, regardless of ad realism.
As cultural services increasingly incorporate digital technologies, consumer experiences are shifting from physical to phygital, blending digital and physical elements. This study adopts a process-based approach to investigate how consumers' interaction with technology shapes their appropriation of cultural experiences. Drawing on a qualitative case study of Cit & eacute;M & eacute;moire, a large-scale outdoor projection art installation, we find that consumers undertake iterative, embedded cycles of technology appropriation that shape their access to, interpretation of, and emotional connection with the cultural experience. These technological interactions are closely interwoven with the appropriation of the cultural service, influencing how consumers navigate physical spaces, make sense of digital content, and co-construct meaning. This study advances research on cultural experiences and appropriation theory by highlighting the recursive nature of technological interaction in phygital contexts and extends the concept of psychological ownership to non-material, co-created cultural experiences. Practical implications are discussed for cultural institutions designing immersive, technology-enabled experiences.
Music streaming platforms such as Spotify have fundamentally reshaped how users discover and consume music by employing personalized recommender systems. This study examines how two user-centered factors, algorithm awareness and the perceived value of a recommender system, affect the expansion of musical taste among users aged 25 to 34, Spotify's core demographic. Based on a quantitative survey (n=129) and subsequent multiple regression analysis, the results show that perceived value significantly predicts the expansion of musical taste, while algorithm awareness does not exhibit a meaningful effect. These findings highlight the behavioral relevance of perceived system quality and raise questions about the practical impact of user knowledge regarding algorithmic processes.
This study investigates audience heterogeneity and loyalty formation at Comic Con Portugal 2024. Drawing on 1,686 on-site questionnaires, we identified three audience segments through K-Means clustering: Hardcore Fans (71.5%), Enthusiasts (23.5%) and Casual Visitors (5.1%), that differ significantly in socio-demographics, ticket choice and prior attendance. An ordered logistic regression shows that positive emotions, perceived social and personal enrichment, exceeded expectations and advocacy intentions markedly increase the probability of return, whereas feelings of marginalization reduce it. Segment membership plays a secondary but significant role. By integrating segmentation and loyalty modelling, this paper provides quantitative evidence that emotional and social value co-create loyalty in large-scale pop-culture events. The findings extend research on fandom participation and cultural tourism while offering actionable insights for event managers working to sustain visitor loyalty in inclusive, experiential settings.
Cultural symbols circulate through museum exhibitions, festivals, creative commissions, and brand collaborations, raising governance questions about appropriation, stewardship, and legitimacy. This conceptual article synthesizes Art-Based Inquiry (ABI) and Critical Management Studies (CMS) to derive a Four-Pillar Ethical Heritage Governance Framework for responsible heritage mobilization. The framework is then illustrated through a curated corpus centered on the Romanian blouse (Romanian term: ie), spanning artworks, fashion episodes, and community-led accountability initiatives. The illustrations show how provenance protocols, participatory co-creation arrangements, verifiable interpretive narratives, and continuity-oriented reinvestment can convert "inspired by" into "created with." The study offers decision support for cultural institutions and brand partners designing acquisition/interpretation standards, partnership terms, and public-private heritage collaborations, contributing to debates on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
The theater industry faces significant challenges such as high production costs, inefficient resource management, and environmental impacts, which jeopardize its long-term sustainability. Digital transformation offers a potential pathway, yet its adoption in the performing arts remains limited. This teaching case study examines Scena, an innovative digital platform that fundamentally rethinks asset management in theatre by leveraging integrated digital twin technology, virtual 3D environments, and circular economy principles specifically adapted for creative industries. Scena's innovation lies in its unique synthesis of four interconnected functionalities that address the fundamental tension between theatrical uniqueness and resource sharing: centralized digital asset management with automated compliance tracking, peer-to-peer rental and exchange marketplace, virtual 3D performance spaces using digital twin simulation, and a collaborative community learning platform. By facilitating asset reuse, reducing waste, and introducing circular economy principles through a "Creative Circularity" framework, Scena addresses inefficiencies while creative collaboration and artistic
We investigate the concept of artistic product innovativeness in the context of film and analyze its positive impacts on consumer perceptions, specifically on time-related experience (i.e., loss of time perception associated with flow) and word of mouth. Our research is based on a quantitative survey conducted in the United States with 296 moviegoers. The data were examined via structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated a construct including two dimensions (core innovativeness and peripheral innovativeness) and shown substantial positive relationships with time-related experience and word of mouth. More precisely, we find that both core and peripheral innovativeness increase time-related experience, which in turn enhances word of mouth; moreover, core innovativeness also shows a direct effect on word of mouth, yielding a stronger total influence of core attributes. These results clarify where consumers locate novelty in films and explain via flow how innovativeness shapes time-related experience and word of mouth.
Guanxi profoundly shapes the behavior and decision-making of home textile designers. With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, understanding designers' acceptance of AI tools has become increasingly critical. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework, this study incorporates Guanxi as an external stimulus and Creative Self-Efficacy (CSE) as a moderating variable to investigate Chinese home textile designers' Intention To Use (IU) AI tools and its influencing factors. Based on survey data from 269 designers, empirical analysis reveals that Guanxi significantly enhances IU; perceived ease of use (PEOU) not only positively affects perceived usefulness (PU) but, together with PU, mediates the relationship between Guanxi and IU; and CSE positively moderates the PU-IU relationship. These findings provide empirical evidence for technological innovation and application in the home textile design industry, highlighting the necessity of fostering perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and Guanxi in promoting AI adoption. The study offers practical implications for developing strategies to enhance designers' IU, thereby facilitating the sustained integration of AI into the home textile design sector.
This mixed-method research aims to understand visitors' perceived value of museum visits and the mechanisms of visitors' word-of-mouth (WoM) communication, drawing upon psychological sense of brand community. Study 1 aimed to identify and measure the components of visitors' perceived value of museum visits using semi-structured interviews, an exploratory factor analysis, and a confirmatory factor analysis. Seven dimensions were identified for visitors' perceived value of museum visits (i.e., education, exhibit, entertainment, leisure, escape, mark, and social), and a scale with 21 items was developed. Study 2 employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to explain the mechanisms influencing WoM. Results revealed that museum brand identification mediated the relationship between the perceived value of museum visits and WoM. However, museum brand identification only positively influenced WoM for non-local visitors rather than local visitors. These findings provide museum management with a comprehensive understanding of museum visitors' perceptions of their museum visits.
This study aims to investigate e-reading behavior from a value-focused perspective with reference to the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV). Attitude toward e-books and commitment to the e-reading community are studied. The moderating roles of gender and age in the impact of consumption values on attitude is tested. A quantitative online survey was conducted among 203 participants. The results confirm the significant effects of emotional, functional, and monetary values on attitudes. Moreover, social value is a key driver of community commitment. However, the moderating effects of gender and age were not supported. This study contributes to the literature on cultural consumption, proposing a contextualization of the TCV in a digital reading context. It offers insights into the social, emotional, and utilitarian motivations of screen reading behavior.
Sustainability issues dominate current political and scientific debates. This topic is also increasingly finding its way into the cultural sector. The aim is not only to strengthen the cultural perspective of sustainability, but also to place greater emphasis on sustainability aspects and the resulting challenges for cultural institutions and their management. Theaters play an important role here due to their constantly growing value chain. However, there has been little research into sustainability strategies in theater management to date. Germany takes a special position in the theater landscape due to its federal structure, in view of the lack of standards and considerable heterogeneity in the financing and implementation of sustainability aspects. Based on a nationwide survey of German theater companies, the article analyzes the role that sustainability aspects currently play in the German theater landscape. The focus of the study is on spatial differences as well as a comparison between public and private theater companies regarding sustainable theater management. Our research shows that some strategies already exist but only for specific areas such as energy and resource consumption. However, there is a lack of holistic sustainability strategies that consider all aspects. Following on from this, the opportunities and challenges for establishing and improving sustainability strategies in theater management are discussed in this article.
In recent years, online transactions have been growing steadily in the art market, but scholarship on new marketing opportunities arising from this digital transformation remains scant. Adopting an empirical approach based on 16 interviews with experts from France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the study develops innovative strategies to optimize the relationship between online art platforms, emerging artists, and other stakeholders through the Triadic Optimization Model (TOM). Results show potential managerial innovations with regard to market segmentation, re-intermediation without gatekeepers, exposure and visibility of emerging artists. The article advances knowledge in arts management research by offering a new stakeholder model for the promotion of emerging artists, the adaptation of marketing strategies to new collector segments, and the alignment with multiple stakeholder needs and market trends. Ultimately, it provides valuable digital strategies to reshape the online art market by fostering inclusivity and democratization through the empowerment of emerging artists and the optimization of stakeholder relationships.
In recent years, the professional ticket resale market has evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry, expanding its reach across various sectors, including sports, music events, and art institutions. Secondary ticketing significantly influences how tickets are sold in the primary market, prompting organizers to respond in various ways - some try to prevent ticket resale, while others choose to collaborate with resellers. This case study examines the impact of secondary ticketing on classical music institutions, focusing on two prominent players in the field: the Op & eacute;ra de Paris and the New Year's Concert by the Wiener Philharmoniker. The Op & eacute;ra de Paris, a publicly subsidized organization, embraces resale as a strategy rather than prohibiting it, whereas the Wiener Philharmoniker, operating as a private foundation, has opted to allocate tickets for its highly sought-after New Year's Concert exclusively through a lottery system.
This article examines the structural challenges facing mid-tier art galleries and explores innovative business models emerging in response to a shifting market. Rising operational costs, economic instability, and disengaged collectors have strained the traditional fixed-space model, widening inequality between mega-galleries and smaller players. Through a case study of Paris-based gallerist Robbie Fitzpatrick, who transitioned from a permanent gallery to a nomadic model, the article investigates how alternative strategies can enhance sustain-ability, flexibility, and audience engagement. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Fitzpatrick and supported by art market data, the study situates his experience within broader trends, including declining young collector participation, increased market monopolization, and collector fatigue. By applying frameworks of business model innovation, dynamic capabilities, and open models, the article highlights nomadic galleries as a form of strategic reconfiguration.
Recent research suggests that artists often hold portfolio careers made up of multiple projects and income streams rather than full-time employment at a single employer. Accordingly, a growing number of preprofessional schools of art have begun offering courses in community art, a distinct realm of collaborative cultural practice. However, little is known about the degree to which preprofessional schools of art are effective in preparing graduates to succeed in a shifting professional landscape. To address this issue, this study investigates the community music practices and educational experiences of 120 professional musicians. Building on these practitioner perspectives, this study surfaces a contradiction at the heart of preprofessional music education and management: although community music education makes a serious contribution to musicians' professional development, the training musicians receive deters them from taking community music seriously. This finding has implications for how arts managers in higher education settings position community music within broader curricula to better ensure that educational experiences are aligned with the occupational pathways that exist in the field.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the performing arts worldwide. Losses of supply and demand were evident during the full period. The paper aims to understand how much the COVID-19 pandemic forced a big sample of the Italian performing arts to cope with stringency and develop a digital transformation, which reckoned the accounting of the Marketing and IT expense, which includes expenses for digital business and communication. A multiple, backward and linear regression was estimated for program service revenues depending on sponsorships and grants, public grants, marketing and IT expense and the personnel expense, before (2019), during ( 2020 and 2021) and after (2022 and 2023) the pandemic. Results provide evidence of positive and, during the whole period, increasing coefficients for the marketing and IT expense. Managerial implications include reporting, monitoring, and training with digital transformation and social media skills in competitive landscapes of entertainments after the pandemic.
