Addict: Study of success of the phenomenon

Abstract

With increased volatility that stems from economic uncertainty in the music industry, it becomesincreasingly important to define the success of creative organizations using symbolic, as well aseconomic values. The overall aim of this thesis is to explore how the new artistic musicphenomenon - Addict - became successful. The specific objective is to evaluate how values arenegotiated and creativity is fostered within the creative organization Addict and consequentlyhow the interplay of these components could lead to competitive advantage. By defining Addictas a field configuring event (FCE), this research paper aims to illuminate the mechanisms thatfoster and value creativity at the site of Addict. The aim of this research is to supportunderdeveloped academic discussion at the cross section of creativity, field configuring eventsand value negotiations. It aims to illustrate the benefits of using FCE as a conceptual frameworkwhen studying temporally and spatially bound organizations in the creative industries. Themotivation for approaching this case lies within the authors interest in creative concepts andmanagement of events that configure fields. The empirical data was gathered by carrying outcreative interviews with three layers of actors and observational notes at the site of Addict. Ananalysis of the empirical findings was mainly focused on sorting the data through two cycles ofcodes that made sense-making of the different perspectives easier. The main conclusions werethat the success of Addict is mainly derived from the ability to generate symbolic exchangevalue, as well as economic at the FCE. By consolidating and engaging in continuous negotiationof roles, Addict enables successful collaborative execution between the actors involved. As aresult, Addict create a social space where the community can gather to foster creativity andnegotiate values collectively. The outcome is a unique event experience that could influence thefield evolution of the new and emerging music field. However, due to the nascent nature of theacademic literature on FCEs and to the limited scope of this single case study, it is important toengage in future research by building on the findings of this case study.