Strategic management of arts organization

Arts and cultural organizations (ACOs), like all organizations, are regularly required to make strategic decisions in order to deal with the challenges of their sector. To make the most informed decisions possible, ACO managers must have excellent knowledge of models of strategic thinking. But thinking strategically does not mean that managers should adopt a purely rationalist approach and ignore their intuition. In fact, ACO managers, who are often artists, are more inclined to follow their intuition than theoretical models that provide only a partial view of reality. The aim of this book is to encourage ACO managers to reflect on the exercise of strategic thinking. Just as artists must master the technical skills of their art in order to move the audience, ACO managers must master the methods of strategic thinking in order to feel comfortable and confident in their decision making. In this process, managers will eventually think strategically by blending a rational approach with their intuition. This way of thinking can be acquired or reinforced through the repeated application of the strategic tools presented in this book. Understanding one’s organization in terms of its environment, its competitors, its stakeholders’ expectations and its resources and competencies, while adopting the most suitable governance structure, are essential steps in a strategic process that will lead to more effective management and a better capacity to anticipate the future. The strategic decisions emerging from this process will have a greater likelihood of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the ACO.