For love or money: human resource management in the performing arts
| Pages | 1451-1466 |
| Date | 07 October 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-05-2018-0128 |
| Published date | 07 October 2019 |
| Author | Stanley Chibuzo Opara,Pauline Stanton,Waheduzzaman Wahed |
| Subject Matter | Hr & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations,Employment law |
For love or money: human
resource management in the
performing arts
Stanley Chibuzo Opara
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, College of Business,
Melbourne, Australia
Pauline Stanton
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, and
Waheduzzaman Wahed
Department of Management and Marketing,
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to focus on the perceptions of key stakeholders of the human
resource management (HRM) practices and challenges in performing arts organisations in Victoria, Australia.
Challenges include the precarious nature of employment in the industry; poor wages and conditions leading to
financial insecurity and the domination of the industry by small- and medium-sized organisations. The
passion and commitment of the performing arts workforce are both a strength and a weakness in that they
“buy in”to the expectations of long hours and unpaid work. These challenges impact on managers and
administrators as well as performers and raise many challenges for the HRM function and places constraints
on even basic HRM practices. Despite the claims of the stakeholders that the large companies have
sophisticated HRM practices the early evidence suggests otherwise. Furthermore, many of these problems
cannot be solved at the organisational level and need an industry and government response.
Design/methodology/approach –A qualitative research approach is used to guide this study as it allows
contextual evaluation of the data. Eight key stakeholders interviewed for this study included one official
specialising in industrial relations from Live Performance Australia, one official from the Media and
Entertainment and Arts Alliance, two government officials from the State government, one with
responsibility for working with Performing Arts companies in relation to funding and resources, and the
other with responsibility for government arts policy development; two chief executive officers –one from a
small arts company and the other from a large arts company; one HR director from a large arts company; and
one manager from a small-to-medium-size company. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were
undertaken to provide an information-rich inquiry.
Findings –The study suggests that there are considerable barriers to the effective adoption and
implementation of HRM in the performing arts. In particular, the research identified four major features that
impact on HRM practices in the arts sector. These are: first, the precarious nature of employment, due to the
short-term and project focussed work. Second, the reliance on often limited government funding,
supplemented by philanthropy, sponsorship and box office takings, leading to short-term and long-term
financial insecurity and limited capacity for long-term planning. Third, limited resources and high levels of
casualisation which leads to low income, poor working conditions, lack of training and few opportunities for
career development. Fourth, despite these difficult conditions, the sector appears to attract a highly motivated
and committed workforce including not just performers but also managers and administrators and the sector
appears to rely on their passion, commitment and shared endeavour.
Research limitations/implications –The study has limitations. For example, it focussed at the macro
level of key stakeholders rather than at the organisational level which is the usual unit of analysis for HRM
studies. The stakeholders made many claims about HRM practices that need to be explored in further
research at the organisational level. Also, apart from the trade union interviewee, the employee voice is
missing. Again, further research into both performing arts practitioners and managers and administrators
would be valuable future research.
Practical implications –This study raises a number of implications for practice. The first is that
government policy makers need to focus on the sustainability of their funding models and take account of the
myriad of evidence that now exists in regard to the detrimental impact of precarious employment in the
increasingly valuable performing arts sector. A policy approach that highlights longevity and development of
the sector rather than an emphasis on encouraging competition between small companies for financial
Employee Relations: The
International Journal
Vol. 41 No. 6, 2019
pp. 1451-1466
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-05-2018-0128
Received 9 May 2018
Revised 13 September 2018
24 January 2019
24 April 2019
Accepted 24 April 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
1451
HRM in the
performing
arts
survival has much to offer. The second is in relation to industry players who rather than blaming
governments could take some control through supporting the growth of networks that could provide training
and development and career development opportunities for organisations and individuals (Hennekam and
Bennett, 2017).
Originality/value –This study contributes to the understanding of HRM systems and practices in the
performing arts.
Keywords HRM and creative industry and performing arts,
Industrial relations and creative industries and performing arts
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
According to UNESCO (2015), globally cultural and creative industries in 2013 provided
$2.25bn revenue, 3 per cent of world GDP and 29.5m jobs. Research into the creative
industries has grown rapidly over the past two decades particularly in relation to their
contribution to innovation and economic growth (Cunningham and Higgs, 2010; Throsby
and Zednik, 2010; Florida, 2003). The challenges of managing creative employees are
discussed or alluded to in some of these studies and others capture the employee
experience of work in this sector (Dean, 2007; Hennekam and Bennett, 2017;
Hesmondhalgh and Baker, 2011; Hotho and Champion, 2011; Hodgson and Briand,
2013). However, there is little research focussing on the practice of human resource
management (HRM) in organisations in the creative industries, particularly in the
performing arts (Haunschild, 2003; Richardson et al., 2017).
Evidence suggests that industry context is important in shaping HRM practices in
organisations by identifying the key political and economic industry drivers, the features of
the workforce, as well as what is seen to be important, relevant and valued ( Jackson et al.,
2014; Datta et al., 2005). For example, in the performing arts Haunschild (2003) found that
high-employee mobility and contingent work arrangements are major HRM challenges and
argued that human resource policies and practices should focus on employment
relationships, job design and employee task assignments. Dean (2007) noted the weak
representation of artists, particularly women in leadership positions, an over-supplied
labour market, poor legal regulation and weak collective bargaining capacity in the
industry. Furthermore, Hennekam and Bennett (2017), examining the precarious nature of
jobs in creative industries in Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, identified job
insecurity, multiple roles, access to initial and on-going training and education and staff
access to benefits and protection as major challenges.
In this paper we focus on the performing arts sector of the creative industries and situate
the study in the State of Victoria, Australia. We define the sector as representing those
companies that provide goods and services that are associated with cultural, artistic and or
entertainment value, in particular, theatre, music, opera, dance and concerts (Australia
Council of the Arts, 2003). We draw on both secondary data and on the perceptions of key
stakeholders of the challenges facing HRM practices in arts organisations.
This study is significant as it investigates the nature of HRM and employee relations in
the performing arts sector. Specifically, it uncovers challenges for the HRM functions and
constraints on HRM practices that cannot be solved at an organisational level and need an
industry or government response. We argue that government policy and industry context
have direct impact on HRM at the organisational level in the performing arts in Australia,
both shaping and limiting HRM practices. This has implications for government policy
makers to formulate policies and make decisions that meet the people management
challenges in this important and growing sector. It also has implications for arts
organisations and their representatives in relation to their expectations of government
and policy makers in the development of human resources and their ability to improve
their own practices.
1452
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