Aug 27, 2018 - themselves, such as an incubator manager or a creative agent. (Hartley 2005) ..... live their dreams and realize their potential. ...... ability to use industry-relevant programs (e.g. Slack, Adobe, Sketch, Salesforce). 5.2.4. ..... Mulcahy, D. (2016): The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better. Work ...
Investigating International Creative Industries Studies: A Case Study
Master’s thesis
Management of Creative Industries
Submitted by: Kaeramaa, Tuuli Matriculation Number: 035923 Course Number: HM017 1. Supervisor: MBA Müller, Ulrike 2. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Behrmann, Malte Submitted on: 27.08.2018
Acknowledgements
I would first like to thank my 1st advisor MBA Ulrike Müller, lecturer of bbw University of Applied Sciences. She was always ready to help whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. She consistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but steered me in the right the direction whenever I needed it. I would also like to acknowledge Prof. Dr. Malte Behrmann, course director of Management of Creative Industries class as the second reader of this thesis and I am grateful for his advice and assistance.
Finally, I express my very profound gratitude to my longtime friend and proofreader Sigrid Väär for her thorough correction of this research paper. I would also like to thank my parents, friends and employer for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you. Tuuli Kaeramaa
1
Abstract
The current Master’s thesis investigated the international Management of Creative Industries Master’s study program at bbw University of Applied Sciences by taking a closer look at the first class of 13 students graduating in autumn 2018.
The growth of Creative Industries in economy began about 20 years ago and it currently accounts for a considerable amount of jobs. During the post-industrial age, there have been noticeable changes in the world of work, which set challenges for universities that have been key supporters of the development of creativity-based workforce. The author explored the changed world of work, the competences and skills needed in the future, the role of managers in Creative Industries and the part higher education plays in supplying creative talent. Resulting from the above, a competence portfolio for professionals in Creative Industries by Mietzner and Kamprath (2013) was used as a basis for preparing a questionnaire which the author subsequently used to conduct the case study.
Quantitative and qualitative data about the study experience, obtained through survey and interviews, provided an overview of the outcomes of the curriculum and the learning circumstances. The collected information was put in line with the perceived needs of the current Creative Industries labor market. As a result of this, an improvement plan for training students was suggested at the end of the study. The author hopes this study will inform practitioners about the student voice and that the results can be used to improve and update international Creative Industries’ management programs.
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Table of Contents
Abstract
2
Table of Contents
3
List of Abbreviations
5
Chapter 1 - Introduction
6
1.1 Background
6
1.2 Motivation
7
1.3 Problem statement and research questions
8
1.4 Purpose of the study
9
1.5 Structure
9
Chapter 2 - Literature review
11
2.1 Introduction
11
2.2 Learning and working life in Creative Industries
11
2.2.1 Changes in world of work in post-industrial age
11
2.2.2 Characteristics of working life in Creative Industries / Creative careers 15 2.2.3 Competences & skills needed in future
24
2.2.4 Role of higher education in supplying creative talent
26
2.3 Overview of Creative Industries sector in Germany
33
2.4 Competences portfolio for professionals in Creative Industries 37 Chapter 3 - Research methodology
38
3.1 Introduction
38
3.2 Case study
39
3.3 Research design
40
3.4 Sample selection
42
3.5 Data collection method and procedure
43
3.6 Data analysis techniques
43
Chapter 4 - Data collection and analysis
45
3
4.1 Overview of study program Management of Creative Industries at bbw University of Applied Sciences 45 4.2 Analysis of sample data Chapter 5 - Results 5.1 Online survey
48 48 49
5.1.1 Competences portfolio assessment
49
5.1.2 Needs of Creative Industries labor market
51
5.1.3 Measures to encourage readiness for labor market
52
5.2 Interviews
53
5.2.1 Reasons and expectations for study program
53
5.2.2 Acquired knowledge
56
5.2.3 Acquired skills
57
5.2.4. Staff and methods
58
5.2.5 Physical environment
60
5.2.6 Duration and fee
61
5.2.7 Other issues
61
5.2.8 Career plans
62
Chapter 6 - Implications and further research
63
6.1 Discussion of key findings
63
6.1.1 Evaluation of currently gained competences
63
6.1.2 Review of current needs of Creative Industries labor market
65
6.1.3 Improvement of training
65
6.2 Limitations
68
6.3 Suggestions for further research
68
Bibliography
70
Affidavit
74
Appendices
75
4
List of Abbreviations
CCI - Cultural and Creative Industries CI - Creative Industries CPD - Continuous Professional Development ECTS - European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System EU - European Union FIBAA - Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation HR - Human Resources ICT - Information and Communication Technology IP - Intellectual Property IT - Information Technology KGI - Keck Graduate Institute KPI - Key Performance Indicator MCI - Management of Creative Industries MOOC - Massive Open Online Courses SEO - Search Engine Optimization STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics UK - United Kingdom USP - Unique Selling Point VAT - Value Added Tax
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Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.1 Background Economic growth in the post-industrial society is largely prospered by the production of knowledge. As a result of explosion of information, almost all aspects of social organisation, including economy, education, health, government and democracy, have changed fundamentally. (Hilbert, 2015) To benefit from the tremendous amount of knowledge the best, people must use their intellect to be progressive in these unstable circumstances. Hence, the efficient use of knowledge and the production of new knowledge - creativity - drives social and economic change in the 21st century (Hartley, 2005), resulting in the term creative economy (Leadbeater 2000, Howkins 2002, Florida 2002).
There are numerous studies that have attempted to define the industries that belong to the new creative economy. One of the first and also widely used descriptions states that Creative Industries are “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent which have a potential for job and wealth creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property” (DCMS, 1998)
The Creative Era sets new challenges for workers demanding them to be multiskilled. It requires combinations, meaning that workers must possess the characteristics of a generalist as well as a specialist. Chris Mathieu (2012) states, that one’s skills and abilities must be adaptable across the industry because there are no organisational or orderly careers to be had. Extensive freelance work, self-employment, individual production and promotion of artistic products, and short-term project-based contract work, which are common in Creative Industries, lead to careers across, rather than within, organisations.
Given the digital shift and the scale and complexity of many creative projects, managers of creative businesses are now required to have particularly strong people- and management skills. A growing number of smaller companies require their heads to be both strong leaders and managers in order to develop employees’ potential and secure the business operations. For leaders in Creative Industries it means dealing with the famously difficult egos of creative and
6
independent spirits - keeping them under control while also supporting their endeavours. (Deiser, 2010)
In 2013, there were 11.4 million people employed in Creative Industries in the EU, accounting for 5% of the EU workforce. (Nathan et al., 2015) Sectors belonging to Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany include the following areas: music industry, book market, art market, film industry, broadcasting industry, performing arts market, design industry, architecture market, press market, advertising market, and software and games industry. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017) In Germany, the number of people working in these “copyright industries” is higher than in manufacturing, including mechanical engineering and chemistry. (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013) Berlin’s Creative Industries sector is an important component of the city’s economy. Berlin has witnessed the development of an extraordinarily large creative scene - its work and private life balance combined with freedom of opportunities has invited a diverse global creative class to move there. The growing number of artists has led to an increase of creative enterprises, which in turn has generated a need for specialist and managerial staff for these businesses. In 2016, as a response to this trend, the bbw University of Applied Sciences opened a study program to train industry experts just for the creative economy. (bbw University of Applied Sciences, 2018)
1.2 Motivation The selection of the topic lies both in my personal interest and in the demand for a more up-to-date evaluation of the constantly changing learning environment within Creative Industries studies.
The conviction that I could contribute to the development of education stems from my Bachelor thesis which I wrote in 2012 about the impact of drama on the education of Estonian secondary school students based on their own evaluation. The results of that study are now used as one of the inputs for preparing the National Curriculum of drama in Estonia. This has been one of the factors which has moved me towards topics such as education and change management.
7
I decided to write my Master’s thesis based on a case study resulting from an initial idea of comparing international alumni and their readiness for the current labour market. It was evident, that my research would be more accurate and worthwhile if I would refrain from comprising a multitude of alumni from several countries in a short time and opt to study a group that I have immediate access and personal relation to. Hence, I decided to focus on my own study group, the first international Management of Creative Industries Master’s program in Berlin and take a closer look at the satisfaction and effectiveness related to the study program. The field of Creative Industries is very diverse and dynamic, which makes it a subject in need of urgent investigation and construction according to circumstances. The new approach of teaching Management specifically within Creative Industries is a relatively narrow field, making case study a reasonable approach for gaining more insight about this unique case.
1.3 Problem statement and research questions Previous studies on similar topics in Europe have focused either on primary data collected from employers and industry experts or on secondary data from literature and websites. This current research takes a look at the situation from a new angle: the case study focuses on soon-to-be-graduate students from the international Creative Industries Master’s program, who completed all the subjects by the time of the study. The input of the case study came not from the providers, but from the recipients of education.
These days, when students are customers who pay for their education and push strategies (simply take the product to the customer) are more and more converting into a combination of push and pull methods (both suppliers and consumers are creating the content and consumption), it is valuable to hear the voice of the consumers of the services. Participants of the study group have first hand experience in Creative Industries field and their views and expectations may be different from academic staff. The evaluation of the study program by the first class to graduate from the program provides beneficial feedback for the developers and administrators of the program. Thereby, the needs of students can be addressed better.
8
The main problem statement will be as follows: What was the outcome of the Management of Creative Industries program in terms of providing relevant training for the current labor market?
To be able to answer the problem statement, it has been deemed necessary to use a few research questions to get around the problem area and answer the problem statement in the best possible way.
The current case study focuses on the following research questions: 1) Which competences are gained through the Master’s program for the Management of Creative Industries? 2) What are the needs of the Creative Industries labor market? 3) What was the overall level of satisfaction with the available study program and study conditions? 4) How to optimize the study program in such a way, that it provides the most relevant training?
1.4 Purpose of the study The aims of my research are: 1) to map the current situation and find out which competences are gained through the Master’s program for the Management of Creative Industries at bbw University; 2) to determine the needs of the Creative Industries labor market; 3) to demonstrate satisfaction with the available case study program in particular; 4) to identify which changes could be made to the program in order to optimize the training and facilitate transition to the labor market.
1.5 Structure The current research paper is divided into 6 parts. The first introductory chapter opens the topic by explaining the meaning of Creative Industries and the management thereof. It also includes short story about the author’s motivation for carrying out the case study. The first chapter presents the problem, research
9
questions and purpose of the paper in an effort to explain what the author intends to explore in detail.
The second chapter consists of a literature review addressing the changes in the world of work and the characteristics of working life in Creative Industries. Management within Creative Industries is also dealt with more closely in this chapter. Additionally, the chapter contains subsections on the competences and skills needed in future, and how education is supplying creative talent. Since the case study is conducted in Germany, a closer look at Germany’s Creative Industries is presented at the end.
The third chapter is dedicated to the methodology of the study. It describes the design and sample of the study, as well as data collection methods, the procedure for the collection of data and methods related to the analysis of collected data.
The fourth chapter provides an overview of the examined study program - the Management of Creative Industries at bbw University of Applied Sciences and of the sample group.
The fifth chapter presents the results of the empirical part of this paper. First, summaries of data collected through an online survey are presented: a competences portfolio assessment, the needs of the CI labor market and measures to encourage preparedness for the labor market. This is followed by data collected from interviews: reasons and expectations for the study program, acquired knowledge and skills, opinions about staff and methods, physical environment, duration and fee, career plans and other issues.
The sixth chapter consists of discussions and conclusions based on the data presented in the previous paragraph. The author tries to explain the results of the competences portfolio assessment and the current needs of the CI labor market. Based on the above material, the author also presents a plan for improving the management of CI training. The chapter also sets forth the limitations of this study and makes suggestions for further research.
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Chapter 2 - Literature review
2.1 Introduction This chapter presents an extended overview of the topics associated with the case study. It begins with a description of learning and the working life in Creative Industries: which changes have occurred in the world of work in the postindustrial age and how does the environment of the working life in Creative Industries look like. The competences and skills needed in the future and the role of higher education in supplying creative talent are explored in subsequent sections. Section 2.3 presents an overview of the Creative Industries sector in Germany and section 2.4 presents the Competence Portfolio for Professionals in Creative Industries, which formed the basis of the empirical part of the study.
2.2 Learning and working life in Creative Industries
2.2.1 Changes in world of work in post-industrial age
The introduction and use of technology and mass production drove the development of the industrial society and made it possible to increase the production capacity of the labor force. (Langlois, 2001) We entered a new phase of society thanks to the development of information and communication technologies. Such technologies are identified as a catalysts for the transition to post-modern or information society. The production of goods gradually made way for the provision of services and focus shifted to the value of knowledge. Information economies became oriented around places of knowledge production (Wright, 1978) and this in turn resulted in a general increase of expertise through the economy and throughout the society. A post-industrial society is repeatedly underlined as one where knowledge is power and technology serves the role of an the instrument. (Targ, 1976) The so-called production of knowledge drives economic growth. (Hartley, 2005) As a result of this explosion of information, almost all aspects of social organisation, including economy, education, health, government and democracy, have undergone fundamental changes. (Hilbert, 2015)
Hartley (2005) argues, that in 2018, it is no longer enough to think about “information society”, because information is constantly challenged. A static
11
information era has become dynamic: as thinking and emotional beings we are actively
processing
information.
“We
need
to
be
original,
sceptical,
argumentative, often bloody-minded and occasionally downright negative - in one word: creative.” (Howkins, 2002) Creativity is the driver of social and economic change in the 21st century and also an enabler for other industries of services. Richard Florida (2002) has identified this new economic class as the creative class and argues that it will dominate the economic and cultural life in the 21st century just as working class dominated in the earlier decades of the 20th century and the service class did in the later ones. Estimatedly, about 30% of the workforce of the Western world belongs to the creative class today and this number is rising. (Florida, 2002) Creativity has decisive social and economic effects, the “industry” part of the “Creative Industries” links creativity as a universal human attribute with large-scale organized enterprises. Imaginative innovation is seen as the very heart of wealth creation and social renewal. (Hartley, 2005) We are, however, seeing a remarkable rise of two kinds of jobs: high-paying, high-skilled jobs in the creative sector and much lower-paying, lower-skill jobs in the service sector. (Florida, 2005)
There is a notable change in traditional employment relations: work can be characterized as a series of periods within and outside paid employment, linked by experiences of learning and retraining. In addition, these periods may include casual work, short-term contracts and job sharing. (Ashton, 2015) According to the estimation of the Institute For The Future for Dell Technologies (2017), 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030, have not been invented yet. The fast pace at which workplaces are changing means that people have to learn in the moment by using new technologies, and the ability to acquire and learn new knowledge is actually more valuable than the knowledge itself. (Institute For The Future for Dell Technologies, 2017) Within the last years, there has been a shift in the working world - a so called “war for talent”, meaning that the employer job market is changing more and more into an employee job market. As a result, it is not uncommon for potential employees to become actual decision-makers when it comes to filling demanding positions. (Baumöller, 2018) On the other hand, the creative age calls for individuals to take huge risks. Florida (2005) argues that the pillars that once helped organize our chaotic realities - the corporation, the community, the nation and the family - have broken down or decentralized and as a result stress and anxiety have been transferred directly onto the individual. He
12
also suggests that those societies which can adapt socially to the creative age and balance individual achievement against risk will gain a huge advantage.
Gig economy and nomadic lifestyle Today’s working environment has often been referred to as the gig, sharing or platform economy, the core of which lies in work being doled out in bits and pieces with each piece of work being similar to an single “gig”. (Mulcahy, 2016) Although people working in the gig economy have some employment privileges (e.g. flexible working hours) and receive decent remuneration, the idea falls short of giving them a full-time employee status (including holidays and sick pay) and the key rights and full protection associated with such a status. (Mulcahy, 2016) Regarding the idea of work split into gigs, an increasing number of companies set out tasks to be completed and then use IT to match the task with the people and technology that have the necessary skills. (Institute For The Future for Dell Technologies, 2017)
Referring to geographic freedom of work in the creative age, a report by the Institute For The Future for Dell Technologies (2017) states: “By loosening the ties between work and geography, it will be possible to chip away at the misalignment of global talent that exists today.” The discussions presented in the report believe in a scenario whereby the tasks that we are used to performing today are going to be replaced by tasks of the future, some of which we are already familiar with and some of which we have yet to discover.
John Hartley (2005) describes the employees of Creative Industries as transparently multi-skilled. He argues, that there is yet no category for this new cluster who is ever willing to pick up new forms of expertise. There is a general tendency of smaller enterprises created in the market (Stokes & Wilson, 2010), which in turn sets new challenges for workers demanding them to be multiskilled. The creative era requires combinations, meaning that workers must possess both the characteristics of a generalist as well as a specialist, e.g. a manager has to be able to lead people and do programming at the same time. The young workforce is extended across the whole sector, employees are constantly finding new niches for work and thus inventing new jobs for themselves, such as an incubator manager or a creative agent. (Hartley 2005) Creative workers are also highly mobile, moving from one job or project to the next and in the process they are also likely to move from one geographical site to 13
the next. (Hartley 2005) This leads to a nomadic lifestyle for anyone bent on a career in Creative Industries. Constant mobility leads to unwillingness to put down roots (personal, social, material and financial) in any given place. (Mathieu, 2012) Workers without any firmed connections often feel loneliness and experience abandonment in their private lives since they have invested a lot in a self- and social engagement rather than in building families and gaining close friends. Altogether, the multi-national workforce of talented people is increasingly casual, part-time, freelance, and relying on a “portfolio” career with many jobs and employers, so that individual workers have difficulties seeing a common cause. (Hartley 2005)
Creative Industries in Europe Europe’s Creative Industries are likely to be an increasingly important part of its economic future. Creative Industries, mainly concentrated in large urban areas, represent a large share of national labour markets. In 2013, the EU’s Creative Industries employed 11.4 million people, accounting for 5% of the EU workforce. (Nathan et al., 2015) The three largest Creative Industry workforces in the EU are those of the countries with the three largest workforces, with German Creative Industries employing 3.1 million (5.8% of its workforce), the UK’s Creative Industries employing 2.3 million (7.9%) and France employing 1.4 million (5.5%) of the workforce. (Davies, 2015) In some countries, such as the UK, Germany and Sweden, the number of people working in these “copyright industries” is higher than in manufacturing, including mechanical engineering and chemistry. It can be assumed that the actual employment rates in Cultural and Creative Industries are still higher, because employment statistics for these areas are imprecise and do not fully reflect the growing number of part-time employees and freelancers. (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013) Based on the UK’s workforce projections used by the government in its industrial strategy, forecasts suggest that creative occupations will grow by 5.3% over the next 6 years, which is double the projected job growth across the UK economy in general. (Creative Industries Federation & Nesta, 2018)
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2.2.2 Characteristics of working life in Creative Industries / Creative careers
The working environment in Creative Industries has become less stable and less traditionally structured than in the industrial age. In 2013, when there was a loss of around 7 million jobs across the EU, one trend, i.e. the rise of Independent Professionals (iPros, often referred to as freelancers who work for themselves and do not employ others) represented a major shift in the nature of work. The growth in iPros in the EU since 2004 has been remarkable with the percentage of freelancers increasing by 45% from just under 6.2 million to 8.9 million in 2013. (Leighton, 2013) Chris Mathieu argues in his book “Careers in Creative Industries” (2012), that traditional structures have transformed and decreased, but not completely ceased. For many occupational groups in Creative Industries, there are no organisational or orderly careers to be had. The “new” or “boundaryless” environment highlights the transcendence and permeability of boundaries rather than the non-existence of boundaries. A great deal of the appeal of the boundaryless career concept has to do with its emphasis on mobility, networks, reputation and individual responsibility for career-making. (Mathieu, 2012) Due to the way Creative Industries are made up, whereby the majority of the workforce is freelance and most of the companies are small or micro businesses, there are certain broad characteristics that differentiate the working life of Creative Industries from the working life dominant during the industrial age or in the information society. (Mathieu, 2012)
Creative workforce Creative work is not always located within Creative Industries. The Creative Trident approach, developed by Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (Higgs & Cunningham, 2008; Ashton 2015), which deals with different workforce definitions, states that there has been a tendency to underestimate the number of people working in Creative Industries due to a lack of agreed methodology. The Trident approach extends the analysis of creative work opportunities and practices and draws together three types of employment, which collectively form the creative workforce:
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●
specialists - artists, professionals or creative individuals working in Creative Industries;
●
embedded - artists, professionals or creative individuals in creative roles “embedded” in industries defined not as creative;
●
support - staff in Creative Industries providing management, secretarial, administrative and accountancy back-up. (Higgs & Cunningham, 2008)
It is claimed that the creative economy is diffused throughout all industries and that creative workers are embedded in almost all sectors in different proportions. All the sub-industries of Creative Industries have their own ecology of labour markets and contracting networks, therefore there are differences in the size, location and management style of companies not only between the sectors but also within them. (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013) Creative employees are the most important asset of companies operating within Creative Industries and such companies will fail if their employees do not come up with ideas that can be turned into profitable, marketable commodities. (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013) Employer’s career by Mathieu (2012) Creative Industries undoubtedly make up an attractive sector to work in, but having a career in these conditions has both a positive and a negative dimension. According to Mathieu (2012), classical career management is a shared responsibility between the employer and the employee, but now there is a shift from an emphasis on having a structured career to focusing on the activities and strategies of individuals in accomplishing their careers. Career management is becoming the sole responsibility of the creative worker. Extensive freelance work, self-employment, individual production and promotion of artistic products, and short-term project-based contract work, which are common in Creative Industries, lead to careers across, rather than within, organisations. Even when employed in a sustainable organisation, contracts are frequently of short duration and promotion or vertical mobility is not usually secured by progression, but rather subject to open competition. Much of the horizontal mobility is a result of blocked vertical mobility - an industry structure consisting of small companies, which are often run by owner-proprietors and focused on novelty and innovation, in coeffect with poor interpersonal relations, leads to promotional restrictions within only one employer. In addition, work in Creative Industries is often project-based, largely staffed by freelance or contract personnel, which makes the temporary created boundaries disappear along with the temporary project organisations that 16
provided impermanent employment. Careers, that are built across organisations or in a series of temporary project organisations, require one’s skills and abilities to be recognizable and recognized in wider circles than just by one’s current employer.
Tournament careers and portfolio working The concept of tournament careers, introduced by Mathieu (2012), wherein a tournament career is seen as the result of the boundaryless and highly mobile environment, implies that getting work is a continuous competitive process with winners and losers. “Winning” is not a permanent state, but usually merely allows one to work on a single, temporally restricted project and then compete again for the same or possibly higher level. The new form and level of competition squeezes out not just the predictability of career progression, but also the requisite stability for skill and knowledge acquisition. (Mathieu, 2012)
Similarly, creative work is also characterized by so-called portfolio working, in which individuals are involved in multiple work and/or development activities at the same time - this primarily concerns junior positions. (Ashton 2015) Work in several different sectors or even occupations under different contractual forms are used to patch together a career. (Mathieu, 2012) Much of the success in finding work in this type of an environment has to do with “being at the right place at the right time”. “Recognition and its more extended and durable form reputation - are central to work in Creative Industries for both subjective and objective purposes.” (Mathieu, 2012) Those, who one works with are those who build and promote one’s reputation and promote one’s work and employment opportunities. Not just getting, but also preserving, sustaining and spreading positive recognition is essential and should be done in contextually appropriate manners. (Mathieu, 2012) Social reputation, access to informal networks and self-fulfilment are all of higher importance within Creative Industries than payment and job security (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013). Pay Despite the risks and unstable financial rewards, the attractiveness of working in Creative Industries is based on high intrinsic motivation (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013). In an established position, the financial rewards can be great, but when starting out in Creative Industries, remuneration tends to be rather small or modest. (Creative Skillset, n.d.) There might be periods when there is less or more work than the worker would like. It is directly related to financial (in)security 17
and evidence of the uncertainty present in the world of Creative Industries. (Creative Skillset, n.d.) Those unable to secure creative employment in either specialist or embedded modes, commonly opt to hold multiple positions and cross occupational boundaries. This type of creative workforce often combines high- and low-skilled positions. Creative workers sometimes rely on a second (low-skilled) job which is in effect a “real” job, because non-creative work tends to be significantly more lucrative compared to an artist’s creative work when judged per unit of time. Economic circumstances in which creative occupations are pursued continuously prevent workers from reducing their non-creative commitments. (Ashton, 2015) Sometimes, choosing the embedded creative work mode outside of Creative Industries could be seen as a strategy to avoid precarity. (Ashton, 2015)
Uncertainty Uncertainty in general plays a major role not only during initial career phases, but also throughout the whole span of one’s professional life. As Mathieu (2012) puts it: uncertainty has several sources - competition, economic fluctuations, the collective nature of most of the production processes, the ambiguity of many judgement and decision-making processes, as well as political decisions. Serendipity and unpredictability create a setting where one does not know on a reasonably secure basis what criteria of evaluation are in force and what is one’s own skill level and that of others. (Mathieu, 2012) Interestingly enough, in some creative sub-industries (e.g. music, theatre) the uncertainty of freelance work is actually the preferred or ultimate career dream and a more stable, embedded form of employment is seen either as a sign of failure or as settling for the second-best option due to lack of challenge. Uncertainty often lasts until the end of one’s creative career and finishing one’s career is just as unclear. It can happen voluntarily, involuntarily or, as we often hear, quasi-voluntarily in the form of intentional withdrawal from a job or the industry due to the worker no longer being able or willing to cope with the working conditions, the primary feature of which is uncertainty itself. (Mathieu, 2012) Another important aspect related to insecurity comes from employers who can choose their collaborators - this circumstance can lead to conservatism, meaning that choices are based on previous experiences and employers tend to favor known partners instead of giving a chance to newcomers. (Mathieu, 2012) This is closely related to networking, which will be discussed later on in this chapter.
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Competition As written above, a lot of the work performed within Creative Industries is either deadline-driven or project-based. The will to stay competitive and be hired the next time around, puts pressure on workers who deal with their employers regarding the work
load, time and payment. Continuous Professional
Development (CPD) is important in keeping the skills of the creative workforce fresh in the face of continued and rapid changes in technology and the markets. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) However, creative companies often under-invest in training their employees, because of the risk that, once trained, these employees will simply move on with their newly acquired skills. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) According to the data of OECD (2018) average job tenure in Europe has been nevertheless almost invariable - 9.6 years in 2007 and 9.9 years in 2017.
Creative Skillset (n.d.) underlines on its website, that in order to stay competitive, creative workers’ working hours may be longer than the average 8 hour-day office job and their working times may be irregular and include evenings, nights and weekends. More regular jobs also do exist in Creative Industries, but they are not the standard. (Creative Skillset, n.d.) What impacts the level of competition is both the oversupply of workers and the (under)estimated demand of markets. (Mathieu, 2012) Market economy; public, educational, arts, culture, employment and taxation policy impact the commercial and noncommercial dimensions of Creative Industries in various ways. Extreme competition creates an open space for exploitative practices, which have received increasingly more attention both in terms of self-exploitation and organisational exploitation. In very unhealthy working conditions, where owner-managers repeatedly remind their employees about the line of prospective new candidates who are ready and waiting to take the jobs of current employees, circumstances lead workers to accept long hours and lack of overtime pay which in turn causes general continuous dissatisfaction. (Mathieu, 2012)
Networking The bottleneck of creative employment may lie in networking norms, which can act as a mechanism of social closure to the creative sector, favoring those with high levels of social and cultural capital. (Allen et al. 2012) The most relevant information largely runs through personal communication channels and what you can know and learn largely depends on who you know. All individuals in the working life are potential observers, evaluators and mediators to wider circles and 19
their opinions may matter in the short or long run. (Mathieu, 2012) While formal industry networking events are important places where creative workers can be seen and interact, a great deal of this networking activity occurs in informal settings outside of the workplace and industry events, e.g. in clubs, bars, galleries etc. (Sapsed & Lorenzen, 2015) And while networks allow for reputation and trust to be developed, it can also make access more difficult for newcomers. (Grabher, 2002)
Conclusion Creative workers might be faced with new alternatives in the world of work, but several issues are raising parallel to it: new entrants find it difficult to secure their first job, an agile freelance pool must ensure their skill currency, employers prefer to recruit experienced employees and freelancers, unsteady income, increased personal responsibility etc. (Haukka, 2010) Elements like the over-supply of new entrants and the mismatch between applicants’ skills and the needs of the job (Haukka, 2010) will be discussed in forthcoming paragraphs.
2.2.3 Management within Creative Industries
Traditional management with its emphasis on bureaucracy, central control and formalisation is not well designed to compete in the flat world of the 21st century. (Deiser,
2010)
Modern
companies
need
to
have
enabling
structures,
mechanisms, processes and policies that drive and support a culture of creative dialogue and experimentation. In order to win in the market - and also in the “war for talent” (Michaels et al., 2001) - companies need to be playful, fast and flexible in their strategic responses. The less bureaucracy, the smoother the collaboration across internal and external boundaries. (Deiser, 2010)
Managers of creative businesses these days are required to have particularly strong people- and management skills, given the scale and complexity of many creative projects. According to Mietzner & Kamprath (2013), managers must make decisions to adapt the actions of groups, teams or organisations to any unforeseeable situations. Successful alteration in such situations results from the ability of individuals to develop and change their behavior, knowledge base and actions (Mietzner
& Kamprath,
2013).
Designing and managing
such
organisations also requires leaders with great diplomatic skills, creativity and the 20
ability to “trust the process”. (Deiser, 2010) Today’s strategic management needs institutionalized creative discussions across boundaries. Creating a strategy means opening up new opportunity spaces and redefining the rules of the game rather than trying to play a better game within the existing boundaries of current industry paradigms. (Deiser, 2010) Creative companies depend on talent from within and outside their organisations to function. Therefore, enabling social network management, trust and horizontal relationship management all become essential. (Deiser, 2010)
As with all businesses, general business skills - accounting, finance, planning and marketing - are also an essential part of the managerial skill set. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Financial management skills can be described as ranging from financial literacy (e.g. preparing a budget and tracking revenue and expenses) to more detailed planning related to cash flow analysis and cost forecasting. Business skills are also necessary to deal with investors, donors and funders. But there is a considerable skill gap in the business part of the managerial skill set. (WorkInCulture, 2013) For example, surveys indicate that a worryingly large number of creative businesses in the UK lack even basic business planning skills. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) The roots of this skill shortage are paradoxical: managers say they have irregular access to such expertise, but experience in the community shows that including “financial skills” into workshops often makes them less appealing. (WorkInCulture, 2013) Management and leadership People often mistake managerial and leadership culture as identical, but there are substantial differences between the two. We must see one without the other to truly understand the peculiarities of both. “Leadership is about getting people to comprehend and believe in the vision you set for the company and to work with you on achieving your goals, while management is more about administering and making sure the day-to-day activities are happening as they should.” (Next Generation, 2018)
Managers and leaders are different kinds of people - according to Zaleznik (2004) mostly in terms of their motivation, thinking and acting. Managers, regardless of whether they are working towards particular goals, resources, organisation structures, or people, are problem solvers. Typical questions managers may ask include: “What problems have to be solved and what are the best ways to achieve results so that people will continue to contribute to this organisation?” 21
(Zaleznik, 2004) It takes persistence, tough-mindedness, hard work, intelligence, analytical ability, and perhaps most importantly, tolerance and goodwill to manage people of different levels of status and responsibility to ensure efficient operation. (Zaleznik, 2004) However, good leadership is not determined by competent management, skilled decision-making or accepted authority in and of themselves. “The key reason for this is that these things do not necessarily involve winning the hearts and minds of others or harnessing their energies and passions. Leadership always does.” (Haslam et al., 2011) There are no known ways to train great leaders, but a leader must enjoy working with people. (Zambrell, 2016) One way to realize which of the two you may be is to count the number of workers outside your reporting hierarchy who come to you for advice. The more there are, the more likely it is that you are perceived as a leader. (Next Generation, 2018)
Alvesson and Willmott (2002) referred already back in the beginning of 21st century, that there is a discursive change from the idea of “managers and management” to a more positive meaning in the idea of “leader and leadership”. Descriptions suggest that the term “leader” has replaced less “attractive” titles such as “foreman”, “supervisor” or even “manager”. (Alvesson & Willmott, 2002) However, this conception is relatively subjective and being a manager is not necessarily the worse option. The transformation of the lead role is closely related to the speed of change, development of technology, changes in the economy, the business landscape and the switch from structures to networks. Several operational and administrative tasks can be facilitated and/or automated with the help of technology, while so-called people skills require even more personal approach to workers than before. The emerging open talent economy - “war for talent” (a term coined by Steven Hankin of McKinsey & Company in 1997) - is driven by trends that are fundamentally changing the structure of talent and work. (Michaels et al., 2001 & Clüver, n.d.) A growing number of smaller enterprises require their head to be both a strong leader and a manager in order to get the team on board and work towards a vision of success. Therefore, a skilled head of an organisation does both: manages people while also realizing that one cannot buy people to follow you down a difficult path and so acts as a leader too. (Next Generation, 2018) Managerial leadership combines the skills of a manager (micromanagement) and the qualities of a leader (empowerment). Such a forward-looking “managerial 22
leader” is more likely to create a working environment which leads to a competitive advantage for the company. This, in turn, goes hand in hand with the growth of entrepreneurship.
Talent management Paradigm shift in management requires a radical rethinking of the traditional concepts of talent management. According to Deiser (2010), the tayloristic paradigm of “scientific management” with its mechanistic and linear thinking, driven by numbers, measurable KPIs and an obsession to plan and control, is hard to marry with the world of creativity. In the light of increasing importance of knowledge work and creativity as a critical strategic resource of the corporation, there is a shift towards a different management practice, that is based on continuous discourse and learning, together with workers and the entire relevant stakeholder universe. (Deiser, 2010) “Members of the “creative class” – no matter whether they are entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, software engineers, designers or others – are typically highly qualified people. They are smart, self-reliant and motivated by the opportunity to live their dreams and realize their potential. They need an enabling environment to thrive, and their potential unfolds best in a creative, flexible, non-bureaucratic culture, not in traditional hierarchies with traditional managerial control.” (Deiser, 2010)
These talents need to work in a new, horizontal and less hierarchical working culture. (Deiser, 2010) For leaders, it is a challenge to deal effectively with the famously difficult egos of creative and independent spirits, both keeping them in check while at the same time nurturing and developing their potential, supporting their efforts and respecting their common desire for independence. (Deiser, 2010) It is a combination of enabling freedom while also keeping their legs firmly on the ground. The practice of talent management has developed a complex set of tools and systems that rely on competence models, performance management, learning and development architectures and more. More and more HR professionals and consultants make their living in supporting these systems. (Deiser, 2010) Deiser (2010) argues, that today’s talent management is obsessed with attracting, retaining and “owning” the new talents among the millennial 23
generation. Enterprises try to maximize their performance with internal systems – only to see the talents leave if the company’s culture is not suitable and nurturing. Instead of trying to desperately attract and keep this talent, companies need to understand the new, non-organisational talent system that has evolved naturally over time. (Deiser, 2010) Creative workers learn and develop through practice and networking and for the better part, talented people honour authentic corporate responsibility and reputation for excellence in specific fields. Great talents are typically interested in creating a name and building a reputation for themselves. (Mathieu, 2012) Working for a great brand or a cool start-up supports their needs. Hence the companies have to learn how to best access and utilize talent that will never sign a traditional contract. (Deiser, 2010) The critical issue with creating a team of “free creatives” is to provide them with equal and fair working conditions.
2.2.3 Competences & skills needed in future
The future of the overall labor market will be influenced by factors such as changes in technology, urbanisation, an aging population, globalisation and the emerging green economy. (Creative Industries Federation & Nesta, 2018) “The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030” (Bakhshi et al., 2017) report predicts, that many (but not all!) jobs likely to experience a fall in the rate of employment are low- or medium-skilled in nature. Changes in technology and globalisation may account for why many occupations on these levels (e.g. manufacturing, as well as administrative, secretarial and some sales occupations) are expected to become less important among the workforce. Non-tradable services like food preparation, elementary services and hospitality will all likely grow in importance. Many of these occupations have lower skill requirements. However, they are associated with different products, which consumers value increasingly more. The current labour intensive public sector is predicted to see growth due to its greater resistance to automation. The continued growth of service industries reflects the demand for certain professional occupations: creative, digital, design and
engineering
occupations
have
bright
outlooks
and
are
strongly
complemented by digital technology. For example, in the US, roles such as management analysts, training and development specialists and labour relations
24
specialists - occupations which should benefit from the reorganisation of work are projected to grow in the workforce, whereas financial specialists are expected to fall. (Bakhshi et al., 2017) Pursuant to “The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030” (Bakhshi et al., 2017) report, both in the UK and the US will exhibit a strong emphasis on interpersonal skills, higher-order cognitive skills and system skills in the future. Interpersonal skills include teaching, social perceptiveness and coordination, as well as related knowledge, such as psychology and anthropology. Findings also confirm the importance of higher-order cognitive skills such as originality, fluency of ideas and active learning. Skills related to systems thinking - the ability to recognize, understand and act on interconnections and feedback loops in sociotechnical systems - such as judgement and decision making, systems analysis and systems evaluation also feature notably. “Broad-based knowledge areas such as English language, history, philosophy and administration and management are all associated strongly with occupations projected to see a rise in workforce share.” (Bakhshi et al., 2017) The future workforce will need generic knowledge in addition to more specialized features that will be needed for specific occupations. Occupations and their skills requirements are not fixed, they are also responsive to changes in the economic environment. (Bakhshi et al., 2017)
Managing the transition from traditional to digital is a key issue in Creative Industries that are not “born digital”. Companies that report of gaps, for example, in their workforce’s sales and marketing skills, computer programming and web design, business and leadership skills, are in fact struggling more with the transformation of work than with new areas of work. These areas (except for areas related to technology in particular) already existed and functioned decades before, just in a non-digital form. The Next Gen skills review led by Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope (2010) shows that many companies in the ICT field reported of difficulties in filling entry-level positions. According to employers, finding suitable people to fill vacancies requiring technical skills, expertise in digital platforms, and management and production skills is particularly hard. Creative media industries struggle to find candidates with the right creative teamworking, software and management skills. Creative employers confirm facing gaps in the skills of those they already currently employ: the current workforce needs to keep their skills up-to-date in order to keep pace with competition.
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Insufficient management skills among the workforce creates a significant barrier for employers to achieve growth. (Livingstone & Hope, 2010)
The fact that our future will be built on creativity and technology, opens up immense opportunities for skills (increasingly creative, technical and social skills) that are resilient to automatisation. (Creative Industries Federation & Nesta, 2018) Additionally, employment acquisition skills also play an important role in the context of growing competition. (Creative Industries Federation & Nesta, 2018) In particular, in this intensely multi-disciplinary environment, creative professionals need strong soft skills to collaborate with colleagues from other disciplines and to perform effectively as members of project teams that come together for a limited period of time. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) As Michael Lai (2016), the North American Student Outreach Lead for the Minerva Schools at KGI, puts it: “Although the jobs of the future are unknown, the skills you will need to know to succeed in these jobs, are known.” He argues that the four key skills for the future are: critical thinking, creative thinking, effective communication, effective interaction. In other words: being able to break down problems, coming up with creative solutions, communicating those solutions to other people verbally and in writing, being able to work in teams and lead teams in making these solutions a reality. (Lai, 2016) These universal skills are transferable to many occupations. Future progress comes not from narrow technical skills, but from having an intellectual breath that helps people set their skills for different fields.
2.2.4 Role of higher education in supplying creative talent Introduction The existence of a large population with highly educated individuals is one of the preconditions for the consumption base of particularly sophisticated creative, artistic or cultural production. Not only arts education programs in particular, but education in general is of central importance for the careers of creative workers. (Mathieu, 2012)
In 2009, graduates in the UK made up 73% of the creative workforce compared to 66% in 2003 (Ashton, 2015). It is a very high number compared to other industries in the UK. In 2017, for example, only 40% of people working in public administration, education and health were graduates, the indicators were even lower in banking and finance (21%), distribution, hotel and restaurants (10%),
26
transport and communication (9%), manufacturing (7%). (Office for National Statistics, 2017)
Schools One of the only researches about skills needs in Creative Industries has been carried out in the UK. According to “A manifesto for the creative economy” (Bakhshi et al., 2013), the picture is rather alarming: the needs of the creative economy are not really met in terms of what and how is being taught in schools. Education and the skills system are predicated on the employment models of the past rather than the workforce of the future. The government has requested emphasis to be put on teaching core subjects like English, science and mathematics, and has left other subjects, which are also vital to the creative economy (such as computer science, design & technology, and art), as optional appendices to the school curriculum. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) After observing the current situation in 2012, the Creative Industries Council Skillset Skills Group made a series of recommendations to the Creative Industries Council of the government of the UK, insisting on a more balanced multi-disciplinary approach to the curriculum. “Much of the curriculum and teaching in schools has become too focused on what can be easily taught and examined rather than what gives children and young people the deep skills and emotional connection to a subject on which they can build,“ the group argued. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Another point threatening the UK’s creative economy can been seen in forcing young people to specialize too soon in either STEM or arts and humanities subjects, thus reinforcing the gap between the “two cultures”. The opposition between STEM and creative subjects is unhelpful with regard to the interests of the general creative economy. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) This premature specialism has decreased the UK’s ability to educate ”polymaths” who have one foot in digital technology and the other in design and arts that the creative economy needs. Schools are also being criticized for their relatively slow technology uptake. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Students graduating from school today belong to the first generation to grow up in a world with pervasive Internet access, and as such, students are often more proficient in digital technologies than their teachers. As a result of this deficiency, young people find themselves living in a digital world whilst receiving their education in analogue schools. Digital technology offers enormous potential to transform learning and its pedagogical potential in the classroom needs to be harnessed vigorously. (Bakhshi et al., 2013)
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While examinations remain a critical focus and the main vehicle for young people’s progression into tertiary education and the workplace, there are signs of change whereby focus is shifting from narrow subject domains to a crosscurricular and interdisciplinary approach. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) For example, in Scotland, the Curriculum for Excellence represents a significant shift in school education policy: it focuses on developing four capacities in learners - successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors and places strong emphasis on cross-cutting themes such as enterprise and creativity, along with new forms of continuous assessment. It is a bold reshaping of education policy and practice, the implementation of which is full of challenges and the impact of which cannot be fully observed for a generation. (Bakhshi et al., 2013)
Higher education The links between higher education and Creative Industries are diverse and sophisticated.
Creative
industries’
education-to-work
transitions
are
not
institutionally or occupationally determined compared to pathways into other industries. An extended transition period, multiple entry attempts and employment within and outside Creative Industries are typical patterns for the graduates of Creative Industries-related degree courses. (Ashton, 2015) “Gaining a handle on the requirements of employers and industry more widely, especially given the strong prevalence of freelance working patterns, can be a significant challenge.” (Ashton, 2015)
Driven by the appeal of the sector to young people and the interest in learning creative subjects within schools, further and higher education, the expectations within Creative Industries are growing as well as the availability of higher education courses. (Ashton, 2015) However, it is pointed out that qualifications do not provide the workforce with a guarantee of entry in the sector (Haukka 2010) and that the degrees related to Creative Industries rarely provide an expectation or understanding of what is required in a vocational context. (Guile 2009) The academic and vocational programs at any level can provide a grounding and inspiration for learners, but are unlikely to provide the conditions to develop vocational practice. (Guile, 2009) Creative or artistic educational programs suffer from a frequent lack of occupational or professional socialization in formal training. Knowledge can be acquired and used constructively, but one should also investigate the environment in which they intend to work in a 28
sophisticated manner. (Mathieu, 2012) Poor transitions are reflected in statistics as unemployment rates are higher among those with creative educations as compared to people with other educational backgrounds of comparable duration. (Mathieu, 2012) One way how elite education programs actively or passively promote their students in the industry is by staging events aiming to attract attention in the industry and by placing their students in high visibility projects, competitions and contexts to give students from certain institutions an advantage over other students seeking to enter the industry. (Mathieu, 2012)
Despite the close links between universities and industries, practical experience often outweighs qualifications. Many practical skills built on theoretical knowledge (e.g. mathematics in the case of computer programming or ergonomics in the case of design) also involve an important tacit element that cannot be taught in abstract, but instead require “learning by doing” in real-world situations. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Constant changes in industry customs and demands leave a gap between what students are able to gain through their degree and what employers and industry norms expect from them. (Ashton, 2015) “Entry tournaments”, prolonged work as an intern and/or engaging oneself in Creative Industries in forms of peripheral participation in order to build reputation and secure positions of greater responsibility in the future are typical for students, graduates and early career entrants. (Ashton, 2015) These scenarios of internships and aspirational participations in industry activities emphasize the need to include the potential inbetween and overlap activities in any account of workforce mapping and career transitions. (Ashton, 2015) Open discussion and exploration of the challenges that workers face in Creative Industries are welcomed both from student and teachers. (Ashton, 2015) Besides, there is also an expressed desire for contact with intermediaries possessing the knowledge and social contacts that creative workers recognize they lack. (Mathieu, 2012)
When is a creative worker a creative worker? Many creative artists and performers produce serious work and get credits before their formal training is complete. This blurs the generally visible and significant determination between students and workers. The work pace, fixed-term projects and the cyclical and seasonal nature of both work and recognition in Creative Industries can easily form background issues for students of creative courses. (Mathieu, 2012) The predominance of micro businesses, their reliance on project-based work (Mathieu, 2012), and the popularity of (mostly unpaid) internships create further 29
barriers to the recruitment of apprentices. Overall take-up of apprenticeships by Creative Industries has been low in the past. For example, only 1% of the workforce have undertaken an apprenticeship (Creative Skillset, 2014) - a form of learning that acts as a channel for the structured acquisition of practical skills that universities seem to unequipped to provide. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Creative businesses prefer university graduates over those from vocational education due to the obsolescent perception that apprenticeships focus on “lower level” skills. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) In the long run, companies must accept that graduates and trainees need a sufficient amount of time working in the enterprise in order to get to know the overall strategy, investments and innovations (new products, new processes, new technologies and business models) and, first and foremost, get in contact with the target groups. It is not possible to train people in such a way that would make them fit perfectly in the position they are hired to fill. (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013).
Over-supply Regrettably, discussions are showing that the creative skills of graduates in “bohemian” disciplines are not fully valued and appreciated in the job market, both in creative and non-creative occupations. (Ashton, 2015) Universities produce a vast number of graduates from courses that are described as relevant to the creative economy. It has been reported that there is rather an oversupply of talent seeking employment, especially in sectors like video gaming, visual effects industries, music and publishing. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) So why do we face a skills shortage and difficulties in filling vacancies, when there is a supply of graduates from courses that are seemingly relevant for Creative Industries? There are examples of industry employers preferring “traditional” degrees, such as arts and physics, to newer degrees (games design, programming) that might be explicitly industry focused. (Ashton, 2015) Graduates of creative courses, who are now working in the sector, have reported that they recognized that their courses lacked industry-relevant skills only after completing said courses. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) These concerns raise the question, whether students from creative courses might be unemployable in both creative and non-creative areas? (Ashton, 2015) This is an issue for students and graduates from creative disciplines, because getting an interesting creative work after acquiring an education in creative field is not merely about getting a job, but part of creative workers’ social identity. (Ashton, 2015) Whether or not securing a creative work 30
should be seen as a failure in the talent-led economy, is subjective. As explained above, moving away from working in Creative Industries could also be a career strategy or choice. (Ashton, 2015) According to the “Manifesto for the creative economy” (Bakhshi et al., 2013), some responsibility for the poor preparation of workforce lies in the industry that has failed to specify or communicate its recruitment needs in a timely manner. The nature of creative business culture also plays a role in that it places emphasis on celebration and showcasing rather than systematic investments in increasing competitiveness. Universities must also share some blame since they are not open about what is taught in creative courses and whether this education helps students gain creative employment. Universities also do not share information about the performance of graduates in the creative labour market overall. This has led to the prioritization of the quantity of students above the quality of their learning experiences and the skills they bring to the workplace, which makes it the cornerstone of oversupply. As costs of higher education are steadily rising, it is increasingly important that prospective students and parents are able to differentiate and make informed choices about courses and institutions. (Bakhshi et al., 2013)
As already discussed in earlier chapters, the vast majority of creative businesses are small, hence they lack the people and time to help universities design curricula that are relevant to their needs. Secondly, the rapid changes in technologies and creative markets calls for a degree of flexibility in the provision of education that most universities simply cannot provide. It has been estimated that approving and accrediting new university qualifications in the UK can take up to 2-3 years, from redesigning the curricula until acquiring new technologies and finding corresponding teaching staff. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) This long reorganisation may be acceptable for a degree in history, but not for a Masters in Creative Industries. The traditional organisational structure of universities (arranged along disciplinary lines), and institutional inertness (also related to the difficulties of assessing teams as compared to individuals) create barriers for the wider adoption of work-based learning models in universities. “The exceptions here may be in the arts and design schools across the UK and where key attributes of creativity - independence, problem solving and collaborative working - are inherent to studio-based learning.” (Bakhshi et al., 2013)
31
New opportunities for learning The Internet and digital technologies have opened new opportunities, venues and modes of learning for creative professionals. Over recent years, there has been a rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), such as Coursera, EdX and Udacity to name some. Although these online courses have their critics, they open up lectures from prestigious universities to global audiences, while providing interactive testing facilities and forums for group discussion. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Another step forward is the number of affordable production tools, which include open sources in some cases and in others cases can refer to commercially developed tools that are freely available for non-commercial activities and which creative professionals can use to learn new and improve existing skills. (Bakhshi et al., 2013)
Proposals for future “A manifesto for the creative economy” (Bakhshi et al., 2013) suggests, that governments should ensure that school curricula bring together art, design, technology and computer science and that greater opportunities to work creatively with technologies, both in and out of school, are available. Steps should also be taken to address the disconnect between what creative businesses need from graduates and what universities are teaching them. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) There is a need for a more intense debate about the adaptation of training and degree courses to changing needs, and about support for co-operation between CCI companies and training and higher education institutions as they develop their curricula. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2013) The quality of graduate employment data made available to prospective applicants of creative courses needs continuous improvement and care. (Bakhshi et al., 2013) Since successful creative careers are built on adaptability - a key quality for learning - students’ training must provide them with the feeling of security in the face of changes. (Bakhshi et al., 2013).
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2.3 Overview of Creative Industries sector in Germany
Sectors belonging to Cultural and Creative Industries vary from country to country. Based on Cultural and Creative Industries Monitoring Report (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017) Figure 1 shows the submarkets that are considered as a part of Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany.
Figure 1. The submarkets of Cultural and Creative Industries. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017) Since 2009, the number of companies in the entire CCI sector has gradually grown and in 2016, there were estimatedly approx. 253,200 companies active in the CCI field. At the same time, the proportion of all companies in Germany which are engaged in Cultural and Creative Industries has been relatively constant and stood at 7.7% in 2016. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017) It makes CCI the third biggest sector after mechanical engineering and the automotive industry. Improvement in key data underlines the positive long-term trend in the development of the sector. All in all, CCI economy is continuing to follow the same trends as the overall economy. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017)
From 2009 to 2016, the total number of people working in Cultural and Creative Industries rose clearly and included 1,637,961 people in 2016. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017) Figure 2 shows the structure of employment in Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany in 2016.
33
Figure 2. Structure of employment in Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany in 2016. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017)
According to the employment analysis from Cultural and Creative Industries Monitoring Report (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017) the majority (62%) of CCI companies did not have any vacancies to fill in 2016. A further 16% of companies had no difficulties recruiting. However, 22% of CCI companies pointed out problems finding qualified staff in 2016. The main issues were recruiting new staff with university degrees and vocational qualifications. There were also problems with finding people with degrees from a university of applied sciences or a combined work/study course. Issues were encountered most frequently in the software and games industry (80.1%), followed by the architecture (63.3%) and advertising (60.1%) industries respectively. The least problems with finding new staff were reported from the broadcasting sector (33.5%) and the art market (29.3%). CCI companies are trying to avoid future skills shortages by flexibilizing working hours, introducing more family-friendly working hours and securing the skills requirements of their workers by enhanced further training. It is in line with the frequently stated expectation, according to which the ongoing digitisation of the working world means that life-long learning is playing an increasingly important role. A little over a quarter of companies plan to use more freelance staff in future to meet their skills needs, and roughly a fifth of companies are planning to rationalize or restructure their business to match the staff with changing circumstances. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017)
34
Over 75% of CCI companies permit their staff to attend trade fairs and congresses so that their workers could find out about and discuss new possibilities, trends and expertise in their fields. More than half (53.5%) of CCI companies make it possible for their staff to attend courses in specialized advanced training institutions. A notable 15.8% of companies offer in-house training courses. A particular need for training is seen in software skills (49.3%), data security (45.1%), and data analysis and interpreting skills (34.2%). Also areas like marketing and logistics are mentioned and there continues to be a need for further training in the more traditional fields of project management (42.7%) and business management (40.9%). Detailed needs are shown on Figure 3. Perceived needs for training in the company (proportion of companies in %). However, what prevents businesses from delivering the training, are usually the high costs of schooling and the loss of working hours. It is also difficult to find suitable courses or to assess their benefits and likelihood of success. The majority of CCI companies believe that financial support for initial and further training is crucial, but a key problem is the lack of monetary support. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017)
Figure 3. Perceived needs for training in the company, proportion of companies in %. (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 2017)
Berlin According to the Third Creative Industries Report (Senate Department for Economics et al, 2014) Berlin’s Creative Industries have recorded above average growth in the number of companies, employees and the value of sales since 2009. In 2012, Berlin was home to approximately 28,200 creative sector businesses, which accounts for 20% of all companies in Berlin as a whole. 35
Together, these enterprises generated sales of over €16.6 billion, representing around 10% of all sales in Berlin’s economy as a whole. Since Berlin’s Creative Industries comprise a high proportion of small and ultra-small businesses and the Third Creative Industries Report (Senate Department for Economics et al, 2014) only counted businesses with annual sales above the VAT threshold of €17,500, one can assume that the total number of businesses and generated sales is significantly higher. The CCI Sector is a crucial contributor in the city’s employment market with nearly 186,000 people employed in Berlin’s Creative Industries in 2011. (Senate Department for Economics et al, 2014) In other words, every 11th person employed in Berlin is working in the creative sector. There are about 78,000 people working as self-employed workers or freelancers, approx. 98,500 are in salaried jobs subject to social insurance and only 9,400 of those employed in this sector are in minor employment. With a share of 42% of those working in this sector in Berlin, the proportion of freelancers and the self-employed is extremely high (in comparison to the German national average 30%). In 2011, Berlin accounted for nearly 12% of the entire Creative Industry workforce in Germany. The highest proportion of Berlin’s creative workforce consists of artists, especially performing and visual artists, journalists and employees in the technical professions connected to Creative Industries (stage, image and sound technicians). (Senate Department for Economics et al, 2014)
Between 2005 and 2011, the creative workforce incomes changed very little, both in Berlin and across Germany. Incomes increased for those in advertising, graphic art, design, photography and the technical professions linked to Creative Industries (there was also strong general growth in the employment), but the income of journalists followed a downward trend. In 2011, the average net income in total within the Creative Industry workforce in Berlin was €1791 monthly. (Senate Department for Economics et al., 2014)
Creative industries in Berlin is a growing sector and also a driver of innovation in other branches. Therefore, CCI is very likely to remain in a focus of interest in the future for policymakers and institutions promoting business development. Additionally, the creative companies and actors together with the many events in Berlin also add to the city’s remarkable appeal as a location. Many companies settling in Berlin explain their decision to do so with the city’s great life quality, 36
which facilitates their search for specialist and managerial staff. These reasons are enough to continue intensively shaping the right conditions and promoting the best atmosphere to enhance the growth of the creative sector in Berlin at present and in the years to come. (Senate Department for Economics et al, 2014)
2.4 Competences portfolio for professionals in Creative Industries When starting research for the current case study, a common basis for the assessment of the study program was needed. Given the diversity of CI sectors, there is no one and only, well-established job description of a manager in Creative Industries, therefore a portfolio for professionals in CI was used as a basis. The newest such portfolio was created in 2013 when Dana Mietzner and Martin Kamprath investigated the competences which are essential for creative professionals and the trends regarding competence shifts. They conducted a broad literature review as well as a qualitative study, which included interviews and workshops with industry experts on trends within Creative Industries. As a result of their study, a competences portfolio for CI, along with the dimensions of professional, methodological and personal-social competences was presented. The portfolio clearly indicates which competences should be taken into consideration for the development of curricula and study programs in the education of creative professionals. Figure 4 presents 36 competences relevant for professionals in CI.
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Figure 4. Competences for Creative Professionals (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013)
The authors of the portfolio divided the characteristic into 3 categories: the personal-social branch focuses on soft skills, the methodological sector involves organized approaches and the professional section consists of specific sectorbased knowledge and skills. the portfolio thus covers a range of competences. (Mietzner & Kamprath, 2013)
Chapter 3 - Research methodology
3.1 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to present the methods that have been used in this study to investigate the bbw Management of Creative Industries (MCI) study program. The chapter is divided into 5 sections. The second section introduces the use of case studies as a research strategy. Then, the design of the two-phase research project is described. The fourth section deals with the sample and the, fifth section covers the data collection methods and procedure. An explanation of the process of data analysis is presented in the final section.
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3.2 Case study A case study is an empirical inquiry, that allows for the exploration and understanding of complex issues. It involves a close, comprehensive and detailed examination of a subject of study (the case) and its related contextual conditions. Helen Simons (2009) has defined case studies as follows: “Case study is an indepth exploration from multiple perspectives of the complexity and uniqueness of a particular project, policy, institution, program or system in “real life” context. It is research-based, inclusive of different methods and is evidence-led. The primary purpose is to generate in-depth understanding of a specific topic (as in a thesis), program, policy, institution or system to generate knowledge and/or inform policy development, professional practice and civil or community action.”
What defines a case study is its singularity - the phenomenon, single entity or social unit being studied. Through case study methods, it is possible to go beyond the quantitative statistical results and understand the behavioral conditions through the perspective of participants. Case studies observe data at the micro level. By including both quantitative and qualitative data, case studies help to explain both the process and outcome of a phenomenon through complete investigation and analysis. (Simons, 2009; Zainal, 2007)
The case study method is used in many areas and disciplines such as sociology, law and medicine. There are also other areas that have used case study methods extensively, particularly in government, management and in education. Limiting, for example, educational research to only quantitative methods (e.g. evaluative applications) would obscure some of the important data that needs to be uncovered. (Zainal, 2007) Therefore, the current study employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore the case of bbw Management of Creative Industries education.
The results of this case study, obtained through a survey and personal interviews, map the current situation of training (the first completion of this particular curriculum) and are subsequently used to derive approaches for changes in the Management of CI program, aiming to clear the pathway towards a more relevant education and training for prospective students.
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The author of this paper was part of the study group for the case study, therefore it can be called a participatory research. Greater insights into issues in the community context were gained by having an equal partner in the interviewer who “provides” the insider view - knowledge of the program and conditions. Thanks to this, the participants were highly committed to the study.
On the other hand, the presence of the researcher in the study group constitutes a threat to the validity of any qualitative conclusions. The values and expectations that the researcher brings to the study and the way this researcher’s “lens” influences the conduct and conclusions of the study mean that there is inevitably some subjectivity of the researcher present in the study. Qualitative research is not primarily concerned with eliminating researcher bias, but rather with understanding how these biases influence the study process and corresponding results. (Maxwell & Wooffitt, 2005) In order to be able to present the most objective results, the following measures were used: the first phase of the case study was largely based on a already existing concept (The Competences Portfolio) and the second phase was prepared based on literature review and the results of the first phase. The collected data was analysed and the answers were grouped according to similarity with single answers listed out separately. This way of presentation should ensure that the results are unbiased and that no particular opinions are overestimated or ignored. However, as with any study, the conclusions from the results remain within the responsibility of the researcher.
3.3 Research design
The type of research used in this study is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research. The research approach is non-experimental and exploratorydescriptive. In the first part, an online survey, which employs both quantitative and qualitative methods, was conducted among the study group. The second part of the research was exclusively qualitative, including one-on-one interviews with the same study group members.
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Online survey The first part of the primary data was collected via an anonymous online survey (see Appendix 1. Questionnaire of online survey in Appendices). The questionnaire starts with closed questions to gather some background information about the respondents: their age, gender, current employment status and form. The quantitative side of the questionnaire is based on a study “A Competence Portfolio for Professionals in the Creative Industries” conducted by Dana Mietzner and Martin Kamprath in 2013. The study presented a portfolio with a list of competences for creative professionals and so far it is the latest such portfolio in this field. The respondents of the survey were asked to rate 36 competences on a four-digit scale: 1. significantly - an option to strongly agree, meaning this expertise was strongly gained during the studies, 2. moderately - to agree fairly, meaning this expertise was moderately gained during the studies, 3. slightly - to agree somewhat, meaning the expertise was gained a little bit during the studies, 4. not at all - if an expertise was not gained during the studies.
Since the competences portfolio was created already in 2013 and the curriculum of the study group was developed later, the respondents were also given the option to add gained expertise at the end of rating.
Open question about the needs of the Creative Industries labour market asked for respondents to provide input on the knowledge and skills needed in CI based on their own opinion and their personal experience. The respondents were allowed to use competences from the portfolio as well as add their own ideas. Answers were requested to be ranked by positioning the most important in the beginning and the least important in the end. This method gave participants an option to name the competences in free form and the ranking gave an understanding about their relevance.
The last open, free-form question asked for other measures besides subjects in the curriculum that could encourage readiness for professional life in Creative Industries. Some basic ideas, such as- internships, well-equipped classrooms, 41
guest lecturers, visits to events and conferences, career services, were suggested to facilitate the brainstorming process.
Interviews Based on the information received from the online survey and the literature review, 18 questions were composed for in-depth interviews to assess the Management of CI program at bbw University of Applied Sciences (see Appendix 2. Questionnaire of interview in Appendices). The case study focuses on the experiences gained from this particular study program.
The interview started with introductory questions about reasons for choosing the study program, expectations for the curriculum and the offer of the University. The second part focused on the content of the program: which knowledge and skills did the participants gain, how applicable and balanced the study program was and what was the program possibly missing. The third section inquired about in-house issues that arose during study phase 1, such as issues related to the teaching and support staff and the physical learning environment, and ideas for improvement. The final part asked about the hard indicators of the course such as length and tuition fee. I also gave the respondents an option to share their other suggestions and thoughts about our training, which the interview questions may have overlooked, but which they still wanted to express. The interview ended with a prospect of the labor market: information about participants’ further career plans and opinions about the particular course preparing them for the labor market (derived from rather non-matching results from “gained” & “needed” skills from study phase 1) were collected.
Since there are only 13 graduating students in the study group and I expected to receive completely honest feedback from them, answers were kept anonymous. I did not note down any personal information of the respondents during the interviews and named them as participant 1, 2, 3 etc. The same applies for the names of professors, which were removed on confidentiality basis. Therefore, full transcriptions and written interviews are not included in this research paper.
3.4 Sample selection The research sampling method used in this case study is the purposive sampling method. I collected primary data targeting a particular group of people, i.e. the 13
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graduating students from the first international Master’s course in Management of Creative Industries from bbw University of Applied Sciences in the year 2018. Thus, the sample matches the population. The author is also part of the study group.
The Management of Creative Industries course is designed for Bachelor graduates from various Creative Industries’ fields who have experience or are currently working in the area. This makes the students a relevant sample to assess both the academic preparation of this particular program (case) and the Creative Industries labor market.
3.5 Data collection method and procedure
Primary data was collected in two ways: 1) via an online survey using the Surveymonkey platform, and 2) through one-on-one interviews with the same respondents.
The questionnaire carried out in the form of an online survey was in English and open for answering from 28.05.2018 until 30.06.2018. Personal interviews were held in English and conducted between 23.06.2018 and 12.07.2018. There were 8 written and 5 oral interviews. Written answers for the interview questions were gathered via e-mails, and oral interviews were recorded and subsequently transcripted. During the interviews, students were presented a list of all the subjects in front of them in order to help freshen their memories on all the passed classes.
3.6 Data analysis techniques
Online survey The data received from the online survey was converted to a spreadsheet, cleaned and analysed in the Microsoft Excel program.
Closed questions were used for background numeric statistics: how many men and women participated, in which age group, whether they are currently working
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in Creative Industries and what is their current employment status (selfemployed, employee, freelancer, volunteer, other, not employed) and position. Though not central to the study, such personal data helped characterize the group and contextualize the main results.
The competences from the portfolio list were put into order showing the frequency of acquisition. Votes were gathered from every acquisition level and the weighted average score for every competence was calculated. Assessments were coded as follows: “significantly” assessed competences multiplied with 0.4 (as the most influential results), “moderately” assessed competences multiplied with 0.3 (as the second most influential results), “slightly” assessed competences multiplied with 0.2 (the third most influential results) and “not at all” evaluated competences were multiplied with 0.1 as the weakest results in terms of influence. The sum of these weighted scores was used to ascribe an average rating for every competence. The ranking order shows the opinion of the students: which competences and to which extent were gained from the study program. Also the extra comments (by the portfolio assessment) from respondents were taken into account.
The answers to a question about labour market needs were first grouped according to similarity and secondly according to incidence. This resulted in a list presenting the needs in descending order of importance. Then, the needs were compared to the most acquired competences from the portfolio to understand whether and how they overlap with each other.
The other measures which could encourage readiness for professional life in Creative Industries were also first grouped according to similarity and secondly according to incidence. The results were analysed to understand requests regarding the possible facilitation of studies.
Interviews The data received during the second phase of the study was transferred to and analysed in Microsoft Excel program. The analysis was carried out following the qualitative content analysis approach combined with the principles of the Mayring theory in order to deal with and gradually reduce the complexity of the answers. During the summarisation procedure, the interview questions were used to group the data and the text material was reduced in such a way as to preserve essential 44
content. To this end, the text was paraphrased and generalized. Next, the author looked for similarities and differences and filtered them out in an iterative process. By abstraction, a manageable corpus was created in the form of, a collection of answers which still reflects the original material and provides an overview of the participants’ opinions.
Chapter 4 - Data collection and analysis
4.1 Overview of study program Management of Creative Industries at bbw University of Applied Sciences
Background bbw University of Applied Sciences is the first German university of applied sciences that started a Master program dedicated to the management of Creative Industries as a whole. This program was opened in response to the growth of Berlin’s creative sector and the need for highly trained professionals to assure continuous innovation within industry-spanning management skills. The first course started in October 2016 and the class will graduate in October 2018.
It is the first study program to employ a holistic approach to proactively address the dramatic changes that are continuously affecting the industry. The curriculum includes overarching management concepts associated with the planning, management and financial controlling of creative teams, while simultaneously developing an understanding of the challenges those teams face. The Master‘s program places special emphasis on providing industry-relevant practical training. It is provided by professors and lecturers with direct professional experience acquired through their work at corporations. Moreover, the diversity of experience among the students, the program’s case studies, the possible research projects at the bbw University of Applied Sciences, the business-related Master‘s theses and colloquiums all contribute to the course‘s practical focus. (bbw University of Applied Sciences, 2018)
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Curriculum The course promises to offer profound business expertise. Students will be given a detailed insight into the various sectors of creative industry and learn about their specialities. The perspective of the study program states: “This master‘s programme aims to develop the skills of ambitious professionals from different backgrounds to the point where they have the flexibility to work for both small and large companies operating in Creative Industries. Our graduates will be those that enable creative work to occur in line with clear business goals. For example, they will have the skills to shape the growth of IT firms, or provide innovative ideas to publishing companies seeking to develop new digital offerings. They will also be equipped with the skills to establish their own creative businesses.” (bbw University of Applied Sciences, 2018)
Specific themes addressed in the course of the program include the crossfunctional analysis of companies in CCI. This involves innovation development, which focuses on design thinking, idea development, intellectual property management, mranding, advanced information and communication technologies (ICT). Also examined are issues such as community driven marketing, methods and strategies of CCI management, strategic financial planning and control, as well as the business models associated with digital entrepreneurship.
The study content is presented on the following figure 5:
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Figure 5. Study content of Management of Creative Industries program (bbw University of Applied Sciences, 2018)
Target group The course is oriented for those holding an undergraduate degree and currently working or with previous experience in Creative Industries. The Bachelor’s degree must be from a course consisting of at least six semesters at a university or equivalent institution, a technical college in Germany or an equivalent college abroad. Seminars and lectures are held in English, for that a certificate of English Language Level B2 (Common European Framework of Reference) is required. Both extra-occupational and full-time enrollment is possible. (bbw University of Applied Sciences, 2018)
Conditions Management of Creative Industries belongs to the department of economics at bbw University. Students, who complete the program and collect 120 ECTS credits, will receive a Master of Arts degree, which is both state accredited by the Council of Science and system-accredited by Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA). The duration of the program is 4 semesters, i.e. 2 years. Seminars and lectures take place in block schedules on Fridays and Saturdays and there is approximately 3 weeks vacation time per semester. The tuition fee for the whole duration of the studies is € 13.080, which
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can be divided and paid per semester (€ 3,270) or on a monthly basis (€ 545). (bbw University of Applied Sciences, 2018)
4.2 Analysis of sample data
A total of 13 students, meaning the whole group of Management of Creative Industries course of bbw University, completed the online survey and took part in one-on-one interviews. There were 9 female and 4 male respondents. The age range of participants varied between 23 and 35 years. At the time of the questionnaire (June 2018), all of them had completed all 16 subjects of the curriculum. All, except for 1 student, were aiming to graduate in November 2018 and preparing for their Master’s thesis.
At the time of completing the survey, 8 people claimed to be currently working in Creative Industries and 5 respondents said that they were not working in the field. The roles in which the students were working, included the following positions: fashion sales advisor, event manager, CEO, partner service agent, online databank manager, fashion designer, event manager-assistant and marketing manager.
Of the 8 people working in Creative Industries, 4 were hired as employees (30.77%), 2 were freelancers (15.38%), 1 was self-employed (7.69%) and 1 participant had undertaken a volunteer position (7.69%). The other 5 persons, as mentioned earlier, were not employed in the Creative Industries field at the time of completing the survey.
Chapter 5 - Results This chapter presents the results of the empirical study. The first section presents the outcomes of the online survey and the second section summarises the interview responses.
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5.1 Online survey
5.1.1 Competences portfolio assessment Students rated 36 indicators from the Competence Portfolio for Professionals in Creative Industries on a four-digit scale: significantly, moderately, slightly, not at all. Table 1 Competences assessment (in Appendices) shows all the competences with their weighted average score, ranked from the highest to the lowest. The highest score overall was 4.7 and the lowest 2.8, making the average to 3.7 (see chapter 3.6 Data analysis techniques for explanation of calculations).
When sorting out the competences with the highest ranking, the upper quarter of the table, presented on Table 2, points out 9 competences which were gained the most during the whole study program. The numbers in the table refer to the actual numbers of respondents. Competence | rate
Weighted Significantly Moderately Slightly Not at all average
Open for change (“open minded”)
9
Ability to work in a team
9
2
2
0
4.6
Readiness to learn
8
3
2
0
4.5
Creative methods
6
5
2
0
4.3
Entrepreneurial thinking
7
4
1
1
4.3
Communication
8
0
5
0
4.2
Change management
4
7
2
0
4.1
Readiness to arrange and initiative
5
5
3
0
Motivation
6
3
1
0 4.7
4.1 4
2
1
4.1
Table 2. The most gained competences from Management of Creative Industries study program
In general, the average scores of the whole evaluation vary gradually and there are no big gaps in the sequence. Results show that the ability to be open for a change / open minded was the most popular answer among students (weighted average: 4.7). Secondly, the ability to work in a team (4.6) and thirdly, readiness to learn (4.5), were taken up the most during the studies. Creative methods and entrepreneurial thinking were acquired equally well (4.3), followed by general
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communication skills with just a slightly lower score (4.2). Change management, readiness to arrange and initiative, and motivation received an equal score (4.1) and were ranked in places 7-9 in the whole table.
The lowest quarter of the portfolio assessment, presented in Table 3, shows 8 competences which received the poorest overall ratings in the entire table. Numbers in the table refer to the actual numbers of respondents.
Competence | rate
Significantly Moderately Slightly Not at all
Weighted average
Analysis understanding
0
7
6
0
3.3
Ability to make decisions
1
7
3
2
3.3
Legislation/law/IP and copyrights
2
3
7
1
IT-competences/dealing with new technologies
2
Business administration
1
5
5
2
Sector-crossing competence
1
5
5
2
Scientific methods
1
3
7
2
2.9
Practical experience
1
4
4
4
2.8
3.2 3
6
2 3.1 3.1 3.1
Table 3. The least gained competences from Management of Creative Industries study program
As the chart indicates, practical experience as a competence from the case study program received the lowest weighted average score (2.8). Scientific methods were also acquired rather poorly (2.9). Sector-crossing competence, business administration and IT-competences/dealing with new technologies - all of these competences equally received a rather low rating (3.1) and were placed at the end of the table. Legislation / law / IP and copyrights knowledge collected a rating of 3.2, thus staying under the average. Finally, the ability to make decisions and analysis understanding were both ranked with a score of 3.3.
Only 2 students used the option to add extra competences to the list. Public speaking and presentation skills, and 3D printing basic skills were both mentioned once.
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5.1.2 Needs of Creative Industries labor market Students were asked about the skills and knowledge needed in the current Creative Industries labor market. In their responses, they were asked to rely on their own experiences and opinions. The answers were requested to be listed from the most important in the beginning to least important in the end.
In summary, the following needs were most commonly identified (the number in brackets refers to the actual number of respondents): ●
networking and communication skills (9);
●
ability to react and change quickly (6);
●
creativity and innovation (6);
●
IT skills (5);
●
awareness of regulations / knowing the circumstances of work (5);
●
leadership / managing creative people (3);
●
general mindset for Creative Industries (2);
●
trend awareness (2);
●
ability to co-operate (2)
The sequence of needs with their weighted average rating followed exactly the same order as presented above. Single mentioned needs of the labor market included knowledge and skills like: ●
practical experience;
●
personal branding;
●
entrepreneurial knowledge;
●
self-discipline;
●
empathy;
●
language skills;
●
flexibility and individuality in
●
lifelong learning.
working hours and environment;
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Comparison The following table 4 presents the most gained competences from the portfolio list and students’ statements about perceived labor market needs.
The most gained competences
Labor market needs, mostly mentioned
Open for change (“open minded”)
Networking and communication skills
Ability to work in a team
Ability to react and change quickly
Readiness to learn
Creativity and innovation
Creative methods
IT skills
Entrepreneurial thinking
Regulations awareness / knowing the circumstances of work
Communication
Leadership/managing creative people
Change management
General mindset for Creative Industries
Readiness to arrange and initiative
Trend awareness
Motivation
Ability to co-operate
Table 4. Comparison of gained competences and needs of the labor market
As the collation indicates, there are both overlaps and differences. The ability to work in a team was the second best gained competence, while only 2 students named it as a needed skill. Creativity (and innovation) were almost equally positioned: the 4th most gained competence and the 3rd most mentioned need. Communication as a skill was acquired rather well (5th highest), but mentioned by far as the most needed skill (together with networking) within current Creative Industries.
5.1.3 Measures to encourage readiness for labor market Students were asked to name measures which could facilitate studies and encourage readiness for professional life during the studies. All, except one student, listed several proposals for improvement.
In summary, the following measures were determined (number in brackets refers to the actual number of respondents):
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●
internships included into curriculum (7);
●
visiting industry-relevant events and conferences (6);
●
well-equipped classrooms (5);
●
guest lecturers (4);
●
visiting companies & co-operation with businesses (3);
●
more support and opportunities for network building (3);
●
case studies and mini projects (2);
●
access to technology (licenced programs, platforms) (2).
In addition, there were single comments suggesting the following steps: career service, smoother organisation in university, experienced practitioners with good English skills as professors, more open and creative-minded lecturers and more creative exam forms.
5.2 Interviews
5.2.1 Reasons and expectations for study program Students were asked to give reasons as to why they chose this particular study program. It was possible to distinguish 8 different causes. The most popular reason was to gain more business and management knowledge. Students wished knowledge about entrepreneurship, management, marketing, law and financing. The attractiveness of the program and the possibility to study in Berlin were also pointed out several times. Some said that there was no other similar alternative study program. The structure of the program (lectures held only on Fridays and Saturdays, which allows students to work during the week) and English as the working language were influential factors for some participants. The combination of studies involving both a creative side and economics also played a role. One respondent was driven by desire for a theoretical and practical approach. See Figure 6 for exact results.
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Figure 6. Reasons for choosing the Management of Creative Industries study program.
There were 7 different positions in the answers about expectations for the program. Knowledge about founding one’s own business was the most referred expectation. Secondly, knowledge about management and its different aspects (for example: strategy building, methods of operations, arrangement of production) was also highly expected. The expectation to receive hands-on, practical training was mentioned in 4 cases. Network building in Berlin and connections with fellow students, professors, external quests was the expectation of 2 people. The same number of respondents confessed that they had no specific expectations. A single participant wanted to learn more about applied economics in the context of arts and 1 student expected industry experts as professors. Even though not answering the particular question directly, 3 students said, that the program itself was attractive and they expected up-to-date subjects. Figure 7 illustrates the results.
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Figure 7. Expectations for the Management of Creative Industries study program.
An understanding and idea about what the program offers was mostly collected from the university’s website, leaflets or from personal visits on open doors day. A surprisingly large number of people - 4 students - said that they do not remember or did not get into the details about the kind of professional preparation that was offered by this particular course. The same number of people said firmly that this study program promised to train them to become leaders in Creative Industries. Also, many students pointed out the promised practical approach of the program. The knowledge on how to establish one’s own business was listed in the program description according to 2 respondents. Single comments included references like: CI as an industry of the future which offers many job opportunities; contacts with companies and business people during the studies and an opportunity to study abroad. Figure 8 sums up the offers from the study program.
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Figure 8. Offers of the Management of Creative Industries study program.
5.2.2 Acquired knowledge
The content analysis part of the interviews started with assessments of the extent and substance of completed classes. The general message was positive: students said that they received a lot of new information and complemented their statements with assessments whereby they saw 70-80% of the knowledge they acquired during their studies as new or even saying that every class offered some
new
information.
Knowledge
about
business
planning
and
entrepreneurship (also pointed out as highly usable in current jobs) was mentioned most often as being acquired, followed by knowledge about ICT (trends, terms, basic understanding of connected systems) and financing. ICT and financing information were also highlighted as most applicable new knowledge in real life. Knowledge of 3D modelling and printing was pointed out 3 times. Some participants mentioned learning new information about accounting, working methods and acquiring general clear understanding of CI sectors. Legal basics, creation of USP on the market and evaluation processes were each pointed out once. One student expressed their disappointment by announcing that the delivered knowledge was mostly neither new nor applicable in real life context.
However, respondents frequently mentioned missing experts and examples from Creative Industries in particular (adding e.g. that aviation industry models cannot
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always be adapted for Creative Industries, and pointing out the dominance of gaming industry examples). Students also expressed interest in more up-to-date case studies and practical exercises. Some participants explained that since the whole sector is becoming more digital, and the topics and products discussed in classes often required understanding of programming, the study program should also provide a course of coding basics. Also, due to digitalisation, two participants expressed desire for a class about social media marketing and social impact in general.
One idea that came up in the interviews frequently, was that the classes should have been longer or taught in another way in order to not only pick up bits and pieces, but gain a deep, thorough understanding of the subject matter (e.g. information about developing a business was provided, but there was no explanation of the bureaucracy that goes along with it). A few students agreed that on a Master’s level it is up to the student to decide what they take away from their studies, adding that they often self-improved by learning programs or exploring additional info about issues that were addressed during different courses.
5.2.3 Acquired skills The second part of the content analysis focused on gained skills. The answers were very pluralistic, participants only agreed on some top skills, but the rest of the replies varied a lot. Undoubtedly, the most referred practical subject was “Skills of Creative Industries Management”, which was divided into two parts: presentation skills and software skills. By far the most acquired skill was public speaking and presentation. Students commented that they became more confident speakers and learned how to structure and make a presentation interesting and relevant. Different new sources (e.g. Crunchbase, Techcrunch, JSTOR) and platforms (e.g. Prezi, Canva, Hootsuite, Buffer) were learned through comparing toolboxes in software skills classes. Additionally, general communication and language skills were improved through frequent teamwork.
bilities such as using business canvas, doing research, creating 3D models and using design thinking techniques were pointed out less often. Skills that were mentioned only once included creating strategies for one-offs, using different
57
working methods (e.g. groupworks, visualisation), leadership (talent and change management), problem solving and overcoming obstacles in general.
There was no homogeneous pattern among opinions regarding which skills were missing from the study program. A couple of students mentioned coding (amongst data science in general), financing (both calculations and how to pitch a financial plan) and general management as missing skills. Some of the students could not point out particular missing skills, but they pointed out missing practical and creative approaches in teaching. Individual responses considered the program to be lacking the following skill: SEO, prototyping, contracts and agreements negotiation, innovative mindset building, networking skills and the ability to use industry-relevant programs (e.g. Slack, Adobe, Sketch, Salesforce).
5.2.4. Staff and methods Inquiry about the staff of university was divided into two parts: teaching staff and support staff.
Once again, the outcome was very pluralistic. The program consisted of 16 subjects with 14 different professors, thus it is difficult to make far-reaching generalisations. However, the number of positive examples (both about teaching methods and about personal engagement) mentioned was significantly higher than that of negative cases. The subject that the interviewees like the most was “Methods of Creative Industries management”. The market simulation exercise, which was carried out throughout the whole duration of this class, was described as extremely engaging and a practical way of learning. The class was also described as a well balanced mix of theoretical and practical aspects. The professor reading this subject was seen as an experienced young professional, who is close to the study group’s generation, knows what interests them and how they want to learn. The second most outlined method was group discussion. It was used in many different classes and named as a crucial point in the development of ideas and in learning from the practices of others. Another subject, that gave rise to strong positions was Controlling class. The content of this class was described as difficult to understand, but since the teacher was kind, well prepared and structured, she made the content enjoyable also for those who had no particular interest in this subject matter. The students felt that they
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had sufficient support in the class “Power of sharing: community driven marketing”, where the professor was always helpful and made sure that everyone was on the same level before tackling the next topic. He was also interested in students’ ideas and showed extensive assistance and support even outside of the classroom.
In addition, students pointed out that it is important to eliminate the student versus teacher barriers. It was welcomed when professors invited guests and initiated discussions with them, and tried out new working methods, such as role plays (examples from “Managing talents & leadership” class). The examples presented and methods used in “Walk the talk / implementation techniques” class were liked due to their interactiveness. Also, the typical classroom layout was rearranged into more of an open space, which encouraged students to be more responsive in all activities. The same applied for ICT and “Skills of Creative Industry management” classes, where the study location was changed and some of the meetings were carried out in an open co-working space. The director of the program was generally described as providing good support when making contacts with CCI companies and experts.
Besides many good practices, students also experienced downsides. A strong message from students was that it is absolutely unacceptable, especially in a private university, for a professor to leave the impression that they are unprepared for or do not care about the class. In the worst case described by the students, a professor did not even know what exactly he needed to teach and this proved to be very confusing for the students. Things like this make people skip classes and undermine the overall moral in the study group. Also, nowadays, when there are so many sources and ways of inquiring information, simply presenting information and reading out slides projected on the wall is an annoying and very boring way of delivering content. Exam forms should be well thought-out in order to fit the discipline better. In other words: there should be more diverse forms of exams, proportionally more of those which are of the practical kind and less of which require theory to be learned by heart or written as an extended paper. Professors do not need to put up a show in front of the class or get personal in order to achieve a connection with the students, it is enough to be friendly and moderately humorous. One respondent brought out the issue of students from different backgrounds having difficulties finding a common level in some subjects. Professors should not make students feel foolish due to their 59
lacking knowledge in some areas because it is a holistic study program aimed at people coming from many different CI areas.
As constructive feedback, some students proposed that if teaching staff would consist of young people with a background specifically in CCI, it would improve the delivered content and update the learning methods used in classes. It would be beneficial, for all the professors to communicate with to each other and create a the curriculum together in order to avoid repeating the same content. The English skills of the teaching staff must be on an advanced level before they start teaching international students. Also, since the study group is small, personal relations between students and professors are even more of a sensitive area and it is important to keep common touch.
The support staff of university got a mediocre rating. On the one hand, their quickness in replying to e-mails (e.g. issuing certificates) was highlighted many times. About half of the respondents said, that the office doors of the members on the support staff are always opened for walk-in guests and the office workers at least tried to be helpful. On the other hand, their poor English skills and slow speed in dealing with exam grades were mentioned a few times. Two students were upset about high fees demanded on short notice at registration, which were not in accordance with the study contract. Two respondents came out with a proposal whereby it was suggested that the staff could provide more support for students in applying for grants to foster their own projects and business-ideas. It would be easier (and also beneficial in terms of branding) to establish connections for an organisation rather than for a single player.
5.2.5 Physical environment The physical environment either facilitates or discourages interactions among people. Surroundings can influence people's mood, behavior and motivation to act, hence the issue was also examined in the case study. The evaluation brought out diverse opinions, which were rather inclined towards dissatisfaction. Students were pleased with clean rooms, good Internet access and availability of primary resources for learning and working. On the other hand, it was expressed that the building needs modernisation: newer computers, flawlessly working beamers and sound systems, and more tools to visualize ideas (e.g. magnetic
60
walls, big whiteboards). The setting of the classrooms was the most underlined issue throughout the interviews. Participants felt that the rooms are closed and there is almost no possibility for rearrangement, which is intensely needed for creating a group-feeling and having open discussions. More frequent visits to coworking spaces were proposed as a temporary solution for this problem, although the classrooms in the university building should be made more flexible in the long run. Also the library was seen as too small. Further wishes for a better learning environment included: setting up student-areas, where people can meet, learn and work; levelled sitting and well-lit classrooms, and adding pinwalls and placing them to more accessible areas. One student regretted not having other students around in the schoolhouse due to classes held on Saturdays, which made them feel isolated from the rest of the university family.
5.2.6 Duration and fee The nominal length of the study period is 2 years, which 11 students out of 13 rated this to be enough. Only 1 participant argued, that 1.5 years would already be sufficient and definitely no longer than 2 years is needed. A topic already dealt with in previous chapters - the duration of classes - was also underlined by many students. They explained, that classes should in general last longer to gain indepth knowledge of any given subject matter. The tuition fee for the whole study period was € 13,080, which 8 out of 13 respondents assessed to be too high for what the program actually offered. At the same time, 4 students found this amount reasonable. The high payment during the time of writing Master’s thesis was highlighted in particular as being unjustified for the support offered. To make the value of the fee more transparent in the context of the studies, one respondent recommended using the money for visiting fairs, taking specific courses such as Photoshop, joining a network like The Factory and buying relevant books.
5.2.7 Other issues At the end of every interview, respondents were asked to express their views about other circumstances concerning the studies. As a result of unstructured
61
conversations, some proposals were made that did not fit under any previous topic.
Concerning the level of students participating in the study course, one person suggested that it should be obligatory for all the participants to work in Creative Industries during the studies. This would be beneficial to all the discussions about current topics. Paradoxically, another student said it was very complicated to find an English-speaking, beginner-level job during the studies that leaves time for university and pays enough to cover all the costs. As regards to the order of subjects, there were a few people who disapproved of the sequence: students suggested that, for example, presentation skills should be taught right at the beginning of the studies (as a necessary basis for all the following classes) and research class should be taught later (closer to the thesis-writing in order to be up-to-date). It was expressed that visits during the study program could have been more diverse and should have included not only private companies but also governmental institutions.
The distribution of exams throughout the whole semester instead of having one compressed exam session was evaluated positively by many respondents. Along the same line, it was said that having one class all day long which required concentrating on the same subject for 8 hours, supposedly reduced interest and energy. The division of subjects on different days would be helpful in this matter. The 2 supervisor system for writing a Master’s thesis was mentioned as an aggravating circumstance in the implementation of instructions. One participant argued, that after passing all the classes, they feels like the overall program could have been more challenging.
5.2.8 Career plans Since the case study was carried out at a time when the participants were about to graduate, they were also asked about their future career plans after studies. All but 1 student were already working or planning to start working in Creative Industries for sure. The only exception came from the respondent having already secured a position outside of CI with respect to their personal preference for business and economy rather than the creative side.
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From those who plan to start working in CI, some people stated, that they will first attempt to do an internship in any CI sector or work in a start-up for 1-2 years to collect practical knowledge. In a couple of years, they would be able to gather enough experience and knowledge to set up their own companies. A couple of students underlined, that even if they plan to stay in the CI sector they have a background in, the studies broadened their horizon and understanding of CI so that they are open for all opportunities and see themselves potentially moving between different CI sectors. One student added that due to high demands they still have doubts about finding a job in Berlin after studies. Another student also pointed out the need to save more money before it is possible to open their own business.
For the inquiry about whether the course prepared the participants for the current labor market, 6 persons replied in the affirmative, 3 responded negatively and 4 were undecided. According to the answers, the program provided a foundation and consisted of classes touching on important pillars of the world of work in CI. However, as a key element, it stood out that the program was missing 2 important elements: establishing a network and collecting practical experience. These two would facilitate transition to the labor market after graduation. According to the opinion of one international student, it is still difficult to find a job in CI with only English language skills in combination with little or no management experience, even though Berlin is seen as a multicultural city.
Chapter 6 - Implications and further research
6.1 Discussion of key findings
6.1.1 Evaluation of currently gained competences The assessment of the competences portfolio gave an overview of the qualifications obtained during the studies.
The most gained competences can be explained as follows: the holistic orientation of the study program taught participants to see CI as a comprehensive system and provided information and examples from different creative subindustries and work performed in creative classes. Since the study group
63
consisted of only 13 students, teamwork and communication were obvious parts of almost every class and this helped increase students’ know-how about (and desire for more) interaction. Understanding of Creative Industries as a dynamic environment showed participants the importance of lifelong learning. This goes along with portfolio working and tournament careers discussed in the literature review. Throughout the classes, students were urged to think ambitiously, find profitable and marketable ideas and solutions and ways how to implement them. Change management taught students how to carry out systematic reformation of organizational work situations. Change management can also be closely related to a general willingness to be open to changes. General motivation most likely stems from a combination of studies and working (or working experience) in the industry, which makes the students look for continuous self-development.
Interpretation of the results from the bottom of the evaluation table shows that there is a great need for practical experience. Scientific methods, as also discussed later during the interviews, were acquired poorly and/or too long ago to make practical use of them at the right time. The curriculum did not seem to have any class specifically dealing with business administration or it was rather difficult to collect that knowledge in bits and pieces from related subjects. The low rating given to IT-competences/dealing with new technologies may on the one hand stem from the corresponding class being too short or from the fact that no specific programs (hands-on skills) were learned altogether. Interestingly enough, even if there were particular classes for both legislation and IP, the acquisition level of them was rather low. This field of CI is likely to be too wide for students to be able to become competent in most of the relevant regulations in such a short time or it could also be that there was a problem with transfer of knowledge. The reason why decision making and analysis understanding abilities were deemed as rather poorly acquired may be the lack of general analysis of processes (in other words: examples are presented, but not discussed in detail to understand the operations).
The results are obviously a collective outcome and reflect general takeaways from the study program. By far the most used vote during the evaluation was “moderately” and the least used “not at all”, which shows a mediocre judgement about the level of acquisition of the presented competences.
64
6.1.2 Review of current needs of Creative Industries labor market The extra-occupational study program aimed at people with previous experience or a current job in CI, made participants highly value networking and communication skills as key needs in this competing industry. According to students’ experience, it is essential to be able to react and change quickly, which is in correspondence with the uncertainty of the world of work in CI. Creativity and innovation are required in every position in order to come up with profitable new ideas, make one’s work more efficient and achieve progress in the long run. IT skills were also included among the top needs simply because digitalisation allows for a lot more work to be performed and even automated with the help of technology. Students also considered awareness about work regulations to be an important feature. This is a sign of the growing freelance- and self-employment work forms, which require more and more for workers themselves to take care of their contracts, payments and working hours to ensure fair working conditions. In addition, leadership skills were considered as necessary for the current labor market - students have understood that a controlling work style is no longer a driving force and that inclusion and inspiration achieve much more. It is naturally important to be aware of trends in the society in order to make the most appropriate decisions possible, both in terms of working methods as well as in reaching the target group.
6.1.3 Improvement of training As a conclusion, based on the quantitative data from the portfolio assessment, the needs of the current labor market and the analysis of the qualitative interviews, I will present some suggestions to improve the case study program and related circumstances.
First and foremost, especially on a postgraduate level, it is essential to enroll students with the right aspirations. The names and descriptions of individual classes should be concrete and avoid buzzwords so that prospective students could get a clear understanding of what will be taught during the program. In order to understand one’s expectations and primary English skills, a simple motivation letter could be required when applying for the program. These measures would make students consider their education path more carefully and prevent them from simply falling into the trap of an attractive-sounding study program.
65
What definitely needs to be raised in the program, is the share of practical work and networking in CI. The competences portfolio assessment shows that students were equipped with the right mindset (e.g. to be open, ready to initiate, enterprising), but the opportunity to act on these skills seems insufficient (e.g. lack of IT competences, practical experience, business administration). Since about half of the students suggested an internship to be added to the program (companies are also more likely to hire a working student with a mandatory internship need), putting this idea into practice should be given serious thought. Besides, visits to CI companies, industry-relevant events and conferences are essential to pave the way for networking opportunities. Considering these strong desires from participants who have completed the 2-year Master’s program now, perhaps a dual study program would be an even better solution for higher education in Management of Creative Industries. This way, organized theoretical studies in parallel with practical work in a company would lighten the financial burden of students and contribute to transition to labor market after graduation. Finding an internship would be easier when it is connected to the program and not the sole responsibility of the (international) student. This would also secure that gained theoretical knowledge is directly put into practice. As was revealed in the literature review, adaptability and security in the face of changes are very important characteristics. Students admitted becoming more open for change and adhering to the principles of openness. They also expressed the desire for longer-lasting classes. Based on the above, it can be said that the training should go even more in-depth and focus on concrete decision-making processes to grow the capability of taking actions as managers. This can be gained either from practical work or teached in a class through case studies, mini projects, simulations, role plays etc.
As the survey revealed, creative methods were acquired and needed almost equally, so the program and professors can keep following the same attitude about creative methods, encouraging ambitious ideas and innovative solutions. But considering that this Creative Industries program is intended to train managers, exams should be more practical and diverse. In other words: the proportion of written examinations should decrease and more emphasis should be put on exams showcasing individual practical effort.
66
Based on the literature review and the results of the empirical part of the study, the role of the ICT class in the curriculum should be significantly more important. To be as up-to-date as possible and adapt to the competition of CCI, the ICT class could even get carried out throughout the studies. Students should get access to industry-relevant programs and the content of the ICT class should include hands-on skills for using such programs. Social media marketing and social impact, SEO, data analysis and coding could be linked to the curriculum due to growing digitalisation and CI work rapidly moving online. It is essential for a manager to be able to use technology on a practical level and not be limited to being able to have discussions on it.
Additionally, the curriculum should include a more thorough approach regarding knowledge of regulations and circumstances of work. If the far-reaching goal is to inspire students to stay and work in Berlin, it would be reasonable to deal more with regulations that apply on the local level. This way, future managers could be more competent in ensuring their own working environment and handling potential employees. Given the growing need for strong people- and management skills, the class on leadership should definitely maintain its share in the curriculum.
The discussions of interviews also suggested hiring teaching staff with a background specifically in Creative Industries, finding lecturers who are closer to the study group’s generation and requiring the teaching staff to prove their English language skills before allowing them to teach a complete subject for an international audience. Some of these shortcomings could be compensated by inviting guest speakers who might share more diverse management experiences and develop discussions. One of the most crucial actions should take place already in the planning phase: lecturers should work together and participate in creating the curriculum in order to provide compatible teaching and avoid overlapping content. Joint planning would also help create a relevant sequence of subjects so that students can develop themselves step by step. Writing a Master’s thesis can be limited to having only one supervisor.
On the bureaucratic side, office workers have to review the details of payments in the study contract in order to avoid demanding fees that are not compatible with the documents. They should also be more entrepreneurship-minded and
67
supportive of students should the latter wish to pursue their ideas and need the institution to be on their side.
General smoother work and study in the university requires better equipped classrooms: newer computers, beamers and the availability of sound systems. It is critical to change the setting and furniture of classrooms, so that the rooms would be easily rearrangeable for different purposes. Since the study program is so unique, the literature needed for specific classes must be available in the university’s library.
6.2 Limitations Restrictions of the current case study are largely those which apply to any case study research. The collection and perception of data within the present case study is the result of one person’s interpretation. As the author herself is also a member of the sample group, the results may lack the perspective of an outsider (researcher’s biases). On the other hand, the interpretations might be more accurate and relevant thanks to inside knowledge of the circumstances and conditions of the program.
There are no guidelines for constructing the final report of a case study, which makes the results difficult to generalise or validate externally. Also, is is difficult to replicate the same case study, because the backgrounds, expectations, willingness, capabilities etc. of the next potential group of students of the same study program, combined with the changed world of work, will be different and therefore, the same investigation can give completely different results.
Case studies are time-consuming investigations. The current research was planned, implemented and analysed in less than 5 months. The online survey and interviews were carried out towards the end of the study program, which may have biased participants to focus more on their most recent memories and forget about issues from the past. Conducting a case study in parallel with classes would optimize the correctness of the data collected.
6.3 Suggestions for further research As stated in the introduction chapter, the current case study developed from an initial idea of comparing international alumni and their readiness for the current
68
labour market. A research comparing alumni, who have graduated from the same level international studies, would still be an interesting future project to see how effective the educational basis for future managers of CI in different countries has been and how to improve the studies.
Another possibility or a follow-up project would be to investigate the same study group again after a few years. This could be used to determine whether they are (still) working in CI and how they see the needs of the labor market after a certain time.
As the competences portfolio used in the current study was created already in 2013, it would be reasonable to conduct a similar study in the near future again to create an updated profile of expertise in Creative Industries, involving industry experts (both managers with and without academic education) and having the student voice represented by recent alumni.
69
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Affidavit
I hereby confirm by means of my signature that I have prepared the submitted work independently and without the help of others, and have not used any sources other than those specified.
All texts taken literally or meaningfully from published and non-published publications are indicated as such. The work has not been submitted in the same or similar form – not even as excerpts – to any other examination authority, and has not yet been published.
Tuuli Kaeramaa Berlin, 27.08.2018
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Appendices Table 1. Competences assessment
Competence
Significantly Moderately
Slightly
Not at all
Weighted average
Open for change (“open minded”)
9
3
1
0
4.7
Ability to work in a team
9
2
2
0
4.6
Readiness to learn
8
3
2
0
4.5
Creative methods
6
5
2
0
4.3
Entrepreneurial thinking
7
4
1
1
4.3
Communication
8
0
5
0
4.2
Change management
4
7
2
0
4.1
Readiness to arrange and initiative
5
5
3
0
4.1
Motivation
6
4
2
1
4.1
Ability to organize
2
10
1
0
4
Innovativeness and optimism
4
7
1
1
4
Independence
2
9
2
0
3.9
Networked holistic thinking
3
7
3
0
3.9
75
Readiness for action
6
2
4
1
3.9
Self-reliance
2
9
1
1
3.8
Strategic, proactive thinking
2
8
3
0
3.8
Relation management/network management
2
8
3
0
3.8
Creativity
4
4
5
0
3.8
Connectional strength
2
7
4
0
3.7
Intercultural understanding
2
7
4
0
3.7
Innovation management
2
8
2
1
3.7
Ability to assess
1
9
3
0
3.7
Sector-based knowledge, multi- and cross-media understanding
2
7
3
1
3.6
Management of multi- and cross-media projects
3
5
4
1
3.6
Ability to give and receive critisism
3
3
7
0
3.5
Persistence
1
7
5
0
3.5
Descipline
2
7
1
3
3.4
Being aware of consequences and strategic thinking
2
4
7
0
3.4
Analysis understanding
0
7
6
0
3.3
Ability to make decisions
1
7
3
2
3.3
Legislation/law/IP and copyrights
2
3
7
1
3.2
IT-competencies/dealing with new technologies
2
3
6
2
3.1
76
Business administration
1
5
5
2
3.1
Sector-crossing competence
1
5
5
2
3.1
Scientific methods
1
3
7
2
2.9
Practical experience
1
4
4
4
2.8
3.28
5.50
3.50
0.72
3.73
Average
77
Appendix 1. Questionnaire of online survey
Questionnaire, phase 1 Investigating International Creative Industries Studies: A Case Study
Dear
respondent,
My name is Tuuli Kaeramaa and I am studying Management of Creative Industries at bbw university of Applied Sciences Berlin in Germany. Regarding to my Master’s thesis I am investigating students from Creative Industries’ higher education program in order to analyse the relationship between learning outcomes and real needs of Creative Industries labor market. Please complete the following questionnaire, answering is anonymous and takes up to 10 minutes. Thank You in advance!
1. Age:
2. Gender:
3. Country of studies and year of graduation:
4. Are you currently working in Creative Industries area? 5. If yes, what is your position? If no, write “no”.
6. If yes, what is your employment status? Self-employed Employee Freelancer Volunteer I am not employed Other (please specify)
7. Please evaluate which knowledge and skills did you gain during your Management of Creative Industries studies. Scale: Significantly - Moderately - Slightly - Not at all
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The list is created according to the article “A Competence Portfolio for Professionals in the Creative Industries” by Dana Mietzner and Martin Kamprath.
5.1 Personal-social: Motivation Independence Ability to work in a team Creativity Communication Self-reliance Readiness for action Readiness to learn Discipline Open for change (“open minded”) Networked holistic thinking Ability to make decisions Innovativeness and optimism Readiness to arrange and initiative Persistence Being aware of consequences and strategic thinking Ability to give and receive criticism
5.2 Methodological Management of multi- and cross-media projects Strategic, proactive thinking Change management Analysis understanding Scientific methods Connectional strength Ability to assess Ability to organize Creative methods
5.3 Professional: IT-competencies/dealing with new technologies Sector-based knowledge, multi- and cross-media understanding Practical experience 79
Business administration Legislation/law/IP and copyrights Intercultural understanding Entrepreneurial thinking Innovation management Sector-crossing competence Relation management/network management
6.4 Others: (free form answer)
8. In your opinion & according to your experience which knowledge and skills does the real labor market of Creative Industries need? Please list your answers from most important (in the beginning) to least important (in the end).
9. During the studies, which other measures besides subjects in curriculum could encourage the readiness for professional life in Creative Industries? (Think about internships, well-equipped classrooms, guest lecturers, visits to events and conferences, career services etc.)
Thank You for answering!
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Appendix 2. Questionnaire of interview
Questions for in-depth interviews, phase 2 Introduction: 1) What was the reason for you to choose this study program? (personal reasons and interests, program that got your attention etc.) 2) What were your expectations when starting this study course? 3) Which professional preparation was promised to offer by University when you registered to the course?
Effectiveness & Applicability: Information 4) How much and which new information did you receive during the program? 5) Which knowledge was missing? Why? 6) How applicable was the information you received during the program? Skills 7) Which new skills did you gain from the course? 8) Which skills were missing? Why? Overall preparation 9) Do you feel the course prepared you for the current labour market? If not, what are the critical things missing?
Teaching staff: 10) How would you rate the teaching of professors? (professional terms) 11) How engaging and inspiring were they? (in terms of persons)
Support staff of university: 12) How was your experience with the support staff of University and bureaucracy (whatever paperwork, applications, visas, exams)?
Physical learning environment: 13) How satisfied were you with the physical learning environment? 14) If not satisfied, propose how to improve it.
Closure:
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15) How would you rate the length of the program? Long, enough, short? 16) Tuition fee - was it reasonable? Expensive, affordable, cheap? 17) Any other suggestions or thoughts about the program you would like to add (that the previous questions didn’t address)? 18) Do you see yourself working in the Creative Industries in the near future? What are your career plans now?
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