How Aesthetics and Economy Become Conversant in Creative Firms

Robert D. Austin, Daniel Hjorth, Shannon Hessel

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    Abstract

    Research on creative organizations often highlights a concern that economic influences on creative work might crowd out aesthetic influences. How this concern can be managed, however, is not well understood. Using a case study of an economic/aesthetic conflict within a design firm, we develop theory to describe how the economic and aesthetic can be constructively combined. We propose the concept of conversation as a way of theorizing a constructed sociality via which creative firms manage this conflict; we also propose the concept of ensemble as a way of theorizing a conversationally nurtured but fragile form of intensified sociality that most successfully combines conflicting influences when it can be achieved. Together, these theoretical conceptualizations contribute new insights and help organize a fragmented landscape of ideas about work in creative firms.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalOrganization Studies
    Volume39
    Issue number11
    Pages (from-to)1501-1519
    Number of pages19
    ISSN0170-8406
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2018

    Bibliographical note

    Published online: 26. October 2017

    Keywords

    • Conversation
    • Creative economy
    • Creative firms
    • Ensemble
    • Group creativity
    • Organizational aesthetics

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