SS8265_Mgment-Lship Report_LORES.PDF

Creativity and constraint
leadership and management
in the UK creative industries
Dr. Amy Armstrong & Natasha Page
May 2015
SS8265_Mgment/Lship Report final 7.indd 1 27/07/2015 11:18

The ongoing and rapid development and diffusion of novel
digital technologies, coupled with globalisation and the
emergence of new competitors such as China and India,
mean that the UK’s creative sector must work hard to stay
ahead. This will require innovation and agility, as well as
consistent investment in the skills and talent that will drive
creative business success.
The Creative Industries Council’s overarching mission
statement for its strategy is: “Using British creativity
to inspire the world.” The focus of the strategy is on
the continued growth of the sector, with the mission:
“To cement the UK’s place as world leader for the
creative industries” (CIC, 2014). Employment across
the Creative Economy has grown four times the rate of the
wider UK economy since 1997, while GVA (2008-13) grew
over twice the rate of the rest of the economy (DCMS,
2015)1
. Despite these exceptional growth rates the creative
industries collectively spend 33% less than the average
for the UK economy on training per employee; and only
27% of companies across the creative industries provide
management training for their employees. This compares
to 35% of companies across the whole economy
(UKCES, 2013).
From existing research we know there is no question
that good leadership and management can have a
truly significant impact on organisational performance,
both in the immediate and longer term. For example,
• Best practice management development can result
in a 23% increase in organisational performance;
• Effective management can significantly improve levels
of employee engagement;
• A single point improvement in management practices
(rated on a five-point scale) is associated with the same
increase in output as a 25% increase in the labour force
or a 65% increase in invested capital (BIS, 2012).
The research presented here succinctly outlines the key skills
needs of leaders and managers across the creative
industries, explains how creative professionals prefer to
learn, and highlights the role context and culture play in
creating tensions for leading and managing effectively. One
thing is clear, leading and exploiting creative ideas is just as
important as leading people in these fast moving industries.
Training needs to be informal and practical to help bridge the
gap from ‘successful creative’ to ‘successful entrepreneur’.
The recommendations made will feed into a leadership and
management strategy Creative Skillset will be developing for
the industries later this year. We look forward to working with
leaders, managers and business owners across the creative
industries on this strategy so we can collectively ensure the
UK maintains its competitive edge.
Dr. Kion Ahadi
Head of Research and Evaluation, Creative Skillset
“Leadership is not magnetic personality, that can
just as well be a glib tongue. It is not “making
friends and influencing people”, that is flattery.
Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher
sights, the raising of a person’s performance to
a higher standard, the building of a personality
beyond its normal limitations.”
Peter F. Drucker
Foreword
1
Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the contribution to the economy of each individual producer,
industry or sector in the UK, including both UK and export revenues.
3

The research suggests:
• The industry is highly fragmented with 97% of
organisations employing less than 50 people.
• Power is perceived to be in the hands of a few large
organisations, which can make career development
more challenging for those working freelance or
engaged in micro-organisations.
• Professionals from across the sector are experiencing
rapid change, increased commercial demands and
advances in technology, that are putting downward
pressures on budgets and project time frames.
• Fostering innovation can be challenging against this
industry backdrop. Creativity requires experimentation,
but this must be balanced against commercial risk.
• Transitioning from ‘successful creative’ to ‘successful
entrepreneur’ can present challenges for leaders when
seeking to drive commercial growth.
• Leaders and managers in organisations of all sizes can
struggle to create an environment that fosters creativity
and innovation whilst working within the constraints of a
commercial enterprise.
• Given the industry structure, leaders in this sector find
themselves simultaneously shifting between leading
teams and leading organisations, which demands a
range of leadership skills and attributes.
• Creative professionals display characteristics which
make them ideal candidates for continuing professional
development and favour a ‘hands-on’ pragmatic style
of learning.
• The top five development needs in this sector are
leadership, strategy, financial management, innovation
and people management.
• Development interventions would need to be differentiated
for leadership and first-line management, would be best
delivered by professionals with industry experience and
include immersive and experiential elements.
• Development interventions should consider helping
individuals to recognise their own learning style and to
assess their learning preferences through self-awareness
and reflection.
• Informal learning (i.e. on-the-job) is more highly rated
than formal learning (i.e. classroom based).
• Formal learning is valued when it can be directly
applied and tailored to individual needs, but criticised
when courses are too broad, or leave no opportunity
for application.
• ‘Mentors’ and ‘role models’ are widely regarded as helpful.
• The most significant barriers to professional development
are lack of time, job pressures and financial constraints.
• Some companies provide training for their employees, but
those working freelance are often responsible for their own
development and can face skills development challenges.
• Delivery formats for development interventions would need
to be flexible enough to satisfy a range of individual needs
and overcome potential barriers.
• Concerns over intellectual property rights and creative
control can create barriers to collaboration between
professionals in the sector, although there is evidence
that when collaboration occurs it produces wide
ranging benefits.
• The development needs of freelancers across the
sector are similar, regardless of the industry whereas
those employed by larger organisations identify different
development needs.
1 | Executive summary
4

This research sought to explore the leadership, management
and business skills gaps within the UK creative industries
and to identify development interventions that may meet
these gaps. The research comprised two stages; an
in-depth literature review and an online survey in stage
one, which was completed by over 100 Creative Skillset
and Ashridge contacts; and depth interviews and focus
groups with industry professionals in stage two. The
purpose of the first stage was to understand the UK
landscape in the creative industries and to identify leadership
and management skills gaps and development needs. Stage
two built on stage one by exploring the issues raised in
more depth and tested development interventions among
professionals in the sector. The results of this research will
be used to inform Creative Skillset’s strategy, which seeks
to raise the standards of leadership and management in
the UK creative sector. The industries represented in this
research included advertising, animation, publishing, fashion
and textiles, film, games, marketing communications, online
content production, radio, television and visual effects.
Three research questions
guided this work:
1. What are the skills gaps and development needs of
managers and leaders in the creative industries?
2. What does ‘good’ look like when it comes to
management and leadership in this sector?
3. How do managers and leaders in creative industries learn,
and therefore what kind of development interventions
would best suit professionals from this sector?
2 | Introduction
5

3 | Literature review
In this section of the report, we begin with a discussion
of the UK creative industries and their contribution to
the British economy. We then consider the leadership,
management and business challenges identified within the
academic and practitioner literature. Finally, we report on
the secondary evidence pertaining to the way in which
creative professionals learn.
The creative industries deliver considerable benefits to the
UK economy. The Confederation of Business and Industry
(CBI) suggest that culture and creativity are at the forefront
of the UK’s international appeal and a key driver for foreign
direct investment. According to Nesta (2014), this sector
accounts for 10% of UK GDP, which includes 10.6% of
the country’s exports (CBI, 2014). The number of people
working in the creative industries is estimated to be between
one and half and two million people (CBI, 2014; Nesta, 2014).
Furthermore, the CBI identifies the creative industries as a
high-potential sector (CBI, 2014), a view supported by Nesta
who suggest that this sector is a key driver for economic
growth (Nesta, 2014). For the past decade, successive
UK governments have been keen to promote the creative
industries as a “major success story and a key element
in the knowledge economy” (Jones, Comfort, Eastwood
and Hiller, 2004:134). The Department for Culture, Media
and Sport (DCMS) reports that the creative industries have
grown by almost 16% since 2008, compared to 5% across
the UK economy as a whole within the same period (DCMS,
2014). The creative industries are also one of the fastest
growing sectors of the global economy (Bilton, 2007).
The sector is diverse and fragmented. It is characterised
by a small number of large organisations, particularly within
the television and film industry, that possess significant
power and a large number of small organisations in which
individuals are mainly self-employed or freelance (Jones,
Comfort, Eastwood and Hiller, 2004). These two modes of
working are categorised as ‘independent workers’, that is
to say freelance and micro businesses, and ‘organisational
workers’, that is to say individuals who are employed in a
business structure (Dodd, 2012). 85.4% of companies in the
sector are defined as ‘micro’ (i.e. less than 10 employees)
and 12% are defined as ‘small’ (i.e. between 10 and 50
employees) (CBI, 2014).
The economic significance of the creative industries,
coupled with its diversity, means that effective leadership,
management and business skills are critical to its ongoing
success. Poor management has been estimated to cost
UK businesses £19bn per year in lost working hours
(Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), 2012)
and as the Department states:
“There is no question that good leadership and
management can have a truly significant impact on
organisational performance” (BIS, 2012:8).
6

Leadership, management
and business skills challenges
in the sector
The UK creative industries face leadership, management
and business skills challenges. For example, increased
competition as a consequence of digitisation and
globalisation means creative industry leaders need to be
able to develop strategies to respond to changing global
market forces (Televisual, 2009), and funding can be hard
to secure for ventures whose assets are largely intangible,
and where markets are fragile and unpredictable (Bilton,
2007). On a managerial level, there are specific challenges
around successfully managing creative people. Whilst the
creative industries share many of the same leadership
and management challenges as other sectors, there are
some particularities where managing creative people are
concerned, whereby artistic philosophy on the one hand
can be perceived to compete with corporate demands on
the other (Jones, Comfort, Eastwood and Hiller, 2004). As
Defilippi et al state: “The management of creativity…
is rife with paradoxes and tensions” (2007:512). In
creative organisations people need to be managed within
an environment that fosters creativity and innovation
(Mumford, 2000), but creative people still need processes
and constraints (Bilton, 2007), which requires careful
management. As Townley et al (2000) warns:
“Creativity may be destroyed by close monitoring and
require a degree of autonomy and experimentation;
or there may be too much creativity and insufficient
discipline” (2000:945).
Many micro companies in the creative sector may be headed
by an owner/founder where the move from ‘successful
creative’ to ‘successful entrepreneur’ presents challenges,
particularly around managing commercial growth. A
common approach in larger creative organisations is to have
‘dual leadership’, where an artistic leader seeks to foster
creativity and a managerial leader focuses on commercial
demands (Townley, Beech and McKinlay, 2009). These roles
are described by Kirton as “complimentary opposites”
consisting of innovators who devise the ideas and adaptors
who exploit the products in the market (Kirton, 1984). Some
managers, however, particularly in micro businesses, have to
adopt both ‘managerial’ and ‘creative’ roles given the size of
the organisation.
Bilton and Leary (2002) suggest that it is the connections
between people, not just the talents of creative individuals
that enable creative organisations to flourish. This requires
the ‘brokering’ of relationships between people, which may
be one of the principle functions of managers in the creative
industries. However, given creative professionals have been
found to be independent thinkers who desire autonomy and
the freedom to develop their ideas without being concerned
with adhering to social norms or the expectations of others
(Dudeck Hall, 1991; Gruber, 1996; Mumford, 2000), any
‘brokering’ role played by managers to create connections
between people in this sector would not be straightforward.
Problems with classification
Measuring and reporting numbers of people in leadership
and management positions in the creative industries is
complex. The use of data sources such as Standard
Industrial Classification (SIC), Standard Occupational
Classification (SOC) and the Annual Population Survey
(APS) are not well-suited to analysis of this kind as they
rely on individuals self-referencing their occupational role
(Dodd, 2012). Many professionals in this sector hold multiple
concurrent roles, for example, that of lead designer and
managing director, but only one would be recorded using
these methods. Neither do these data sources reflect
the responsibilities of those for whom people or project
management is not their primary function, or capture
owners/founders of micro organisations, who may identify
themselves as designers or producers for example, rather
than as leaders and managers.
10.2% of the wider UK workforce are classified as
“managers, directors and senior officials” by the Office of
National Statistics (ONS, 2015), compared to 24% in the
creative sector (Creative Skillset, 2012). Figure 1 provides
an estimate of those in management and leadership
positions within the creative sector, but given the industry
structure, the nature of creative leadership, and the
challenges associated with classification, the true
figures are likely to be higher.
7

How creative professionals learn
People working in creative roles have been found to display
strong achievement motives; high levels of self-confidence;
a tolerance for ambiguity; a strong interest in learning; and
openness and flexibility (Barron Harrington, 1981; Brophy,
1998; Mumford, 2000). Curiosity has been identified as
a frequent characteristic of creative individuals (Mills and
Cameron, 1993) as well as self-discipline (Dudeck and Hall,
1991). This suggests that creative professionals are open to
learning, provided that it can be delivered in ways that suit
their learning style.
Honey and Mumford (1992) suggest there are four types of
learning style: Activist, Pragmatist, Reflector and Theorist
(Figure 1) and recent Nesta (2014) research found that
the most favoured of these styles amongst creative sector
professionals was ‘Pragmatist’ (with 41% of respondents
expressing it as a preference). This is a style in which
individuals seek to practically apply the theoretical concepts
learned to their job, and when there is a clear link between
what they are learning and their professional role. In the
same research, ‘Theorist’ was the least favoured option,
with only 2% of creative sector professionals expressing
this preference (Nesta, 2014).
Figure 1: Management and leadership figures in the creative industries
Industry Total Employed Estimate of those
in management and
leadership positions (%)
Estimate of those
in management and
leadership positions (n)
Advertising 154,500 19 29,350
Animation 4,600 27 1,250
Facilities 36,950 27 10,000
Fashion Textiles 215,000 15 32,250
Film 30,200 28 8,450
Games 5,500 27 1,500
Interactive Media 43,050 27 11,600
Other content production 7,900 27 2,150
Photo Imaging 43,400 4 1,750
Publishing 188,500 13 24,500
Radio 17,200 27 4,600
Television 50,600 27 13,650
Visual Effects 5,300 27 1,450
TOTAL 802,700 24 142,500
Whole economy 30,190,800* 10.2** 3,079,500
Source: Creative Skillset 2012 Employment Census, except where indicated otherwise.
* Source: Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey Dec - Feb 2015
** Source: Office for National Statistics Labour Market Profile Jan - Dec 2015
NB: Where industry specific data is not available, the average across the remainder of the industry, as indicated in the Creative Skillset 2012 Employment
Census is used (27%). Creative Skillset 2012 Employment Census excludes some freelancers, therefore total figures given here are lower than the total
numbers working in the sector. Figures rounded up or down to the nearest 50.
* Source: Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey Dec - Feb 2015
** Source: Office for National Statistics Labour Market Profile Jan - Dec 2015
8

Figure 2: Honey and Mumford learning styles. (Honey and Mumford, 1992)
Given that networks play a significant role for creative
professionals (Bilton, 2007; Townley, Beech and McKinlay,
2009), peer-to-peer learning is also an important source
of knowledge exchange, however Nesta’s (2014) research
concluded that leaders may face more acute time pressures
when it comes to peer-to-peer learning, so mentoring may
be more appropriate for people in leadership positions.
‘Mainstream’ methods of learning (e.g. higher education
degrees) have not been found to be particularly effective
for honing artistic and business skills in combination,
as students may not realise that they have a need for
business skills until after they have left formal education
and attempted to establish themselves as entrepreneurs
(Leadbeater and Oakley, 1999). Entrepreneurial development
should therefore be demand-led, modular and flexible and
available at a later stage in people’s careers if necessary
(Leadbeater and Oakley, 1999). Entrepreneurial learning
is recognised as an important aspect of development for
individuals in the creative industries, but it is an area that is
not well understood (Rae, 2004).
In summary, the creative industries are vitally important
for our culture and our economy. However, the apparent
paradox of fostering creativity and innovation whilst
remaining commercially successful present challenges
for leaders in organisations of all sizes in this sector. The
successful management of creative people requires the
ability to create conditions that foster innovation and meet
commercial demands. Moving from ‘successful creative’ to
‘successful entrepreneur’ can present challenges around
managing growth, particularly in such a volatile and uncertain
global market. Creative professionals are ideal candidates
for continuing professional development as they have been
found to possess the characteristics that are associated
with successful learning. However, any interventions aimed
at reducing leadership, management or business skills gaps
would need to be tailored to their learning preferences and
take account of their professional circumstances.
Activists
Active
Experimentation
Putting their theory
into practice
Reflective
Observation
Reflecting on it
Concrete Experience
Having an experience
Abstract
Conceptualisation
Drawing their own conclusion
Pragm
atists
Reflectors
Theorists
ContinuumPerception
ContinuumProcessing
9

4 | Results from the online survey
The online survey was distributed by Creative Skillset and
Ashridge to a broad range of industry professionals. The
survey included closed and open questions and generated
110 responses from individuals in leadership roles across a
broad range of organisations. (Further demographic details
are included in the appendix).
Development needs
Respondents were asked to rank their most important
leadership development needs. The top five development
needs were identified as leadership, strategy, financial
management, innovation and people management
(see Figure 3).
Figure 3: Top five development needs of respondents
Leadership was identified as the most important development
need by 65% of respondents with nearly half (47%) ranking
it either first or second. 59% of respondents identified
strategy as an important area for development, which is
understandable given the complex and rapidly changing
market conditions within the creative industries. Financial
management was identified by nearly half the respondents
(47%) which is interesting given that 45% of the survey sample
are either CEOs or founders. Innovation was ranked forth
which, again, is understandable in a sector where the market
demands a constant stream of new products and services.
People management was ranked fifth, which reflects the
complexities of managing creative individuals.
Respondents were also asked to identify the most important
areas of development for their direct reports and the top five
were leadership, people management, strategy, personal
impact and coaching (see Figure 4).
Figure 4: Top five development needs of respondents’
direct reports
Leadership was identified by 75% of respondents followed
by people management (65%) which, again, supports
the evidence that emerged from the literature about the
challenges of leading creative people. This result may also
indicate that direct reports are more involved in the day-to-
day management of people and are less involved in strategy
creation, unlike their leaders, who ranked strategy as the
second most important development need for themselves.
Leaders also identified personal impact and influence as
a development need of their direct reports (ranked fourth),
which could indicate a difference between leadership and
management, that is to say, leaders feel their impact and
influence is well honed, yet do not see this among their
direct reports.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
65%
59%
47% 46%
43%
Leadership Strategy Financial
Management
Innovation People
Management
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
75%
65%
49% 48%
41%
Leadership Strategy CoachingPersonal
Impact and
Influence
People
Management
10

Previous learning experiences
76% of survey respondents had experienced formal (i.e.
classroom-based) learning. They were asked to score how
effective it had been on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not
at all effective and 10 being highly effective. The average
score was 6.4.
84% of respondents had experienced informal (i.e. on-
the-job) learning, which they also ranked in terms of its
effectiveness on their development. The average score was
8.3. Informal learning thus scored almost two points higher
than formal learning, reflecting the favoured learning styles
identified in the literature review.
The online survey also included an open question, which
asked respondents to explain the reason for their scoring.
Formal learning was valued when it could be directly applied
to their jobs, or where it was specifically tailored to their
needs, but criticised when courses were too broad, or left
no opportunity for application. One of the reasons informal
learning was more highly rated, was that many respondents
described a ‘hands-on’ approach as the best way for them to
learn, again reflecting their ‘pragmatic’ style of learning.
The survey also asked respondents to describe their most
powerful learning experience. The most prevalent theme
was experience of ‘stepping up’ into more challenging
roles or having to work under considerable pressure. Here,
respondents described being “thrown in at the deep end”
and having no choice but to learn very quickly, sometimes
with little support. Whilst these experiences were described as
challenging, respondents saw them as leading to increased
confidence in their leadership capabilities. Here a theme of
establishing a leadership identity emerges.
Respondents also described learning from ‘role models’
within the creative industries through experiences that
engaged them on an emotional level. Several respondents
described reflection as a learning tool and valued situations
where they gained insight which led to personal growth.
Coaching and mentoring were also quoted as effective ways
to solve practical problems and build leadership confidence.
Some respondents had experience of formal coaching
whereas others described leaders who took on an informal
mentoring role, as helpful. Networks, peers and team
support were also cited as important elements in learning.
Barriers to professional
development
Respondents were asked if there was anything stopping
them from engaging in more professional development and
were asked to identify any barriers to learning. The most
significant were lack of time, job pressures and financial
constraints, which will need to be taken into account when
designing development interventions.
Figure 5: Barriers to professional development
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
53%
42%
37%
Lack
of time
Job
pressures
Financial
constraints
11

5 | Results from the interviews
and focus groups
Stage two comprised ten telephone interviews and three
focus groups (40 participants took part over the three focus
groups). The purpose of this stage was to explore some of
the stage one themes in-depth among a range of industry
professionals. (The demographic data pertaining to stage
two participants is contained in the appendix).
In the in-depth interviews, participants were asked about
their experiences of:
• Leadership and strategy (the two most important
skills gaps identified in the stage one survey).
• The development needs of managers working
under their charge.
• Their transition into leadership roles.
• Experiences of leading creative professionals.
• Their learning and skills development needs.
In the focus groups, participants were asked to discuss
the challenges of leadership and management within
the creative sector.
When analysed, three themes united both the interview
and focus group data. These are: ‘Context’, ‘Culture’ and
‘Creative leadership’. Context relates to the environment
in which professionals in this sector lead, with people
distinguishing between the skills required to lead an
organisation versus the capabilities required to lead a team.
‘Culture’ refers to the kind of organisational culture that
individuals in this sector believe needs to be present in
order to succeed. ‘Creative leadership’ refers to the specific
challenges faced by leaders in this sector.
Context
“The whole industry is changing so fast it’s really
difficult to know where it’s going to go and what
you can do.” (Interviewee)
“How do you ensure consistent productivity, and
meet deadlines, to ever decreasing and competitive
budgets and, at the same time, get the passion and
the enthusiasm that you want from the people doing
the work? That’s a real tightrope to walk.”
(Focus group participant)
These quotes illustrate how some of the professionals we
talked to described the context in which the UK creative
sector operates as rapidly changing. According to them, this
is an environment in which budgets are smaller, time frames
are tighter and technology is altering the way in which
things are done. Research participants saw the demands
on leaders as having increased as they attempt to secure
commercial success whilst fostering creative freedom. The
interviews and focus groups revealed that this changing
landscape is affecting the way in which the industry is
structured and consequently the way in which the market
operates, which, for some people creates a perceived
tension between business and art. Many professionals
spoke of these increased commercial pressures. As one
focus group participant said:
“Time pressure now on production, creative people
in production particularly, is incredible. Our gigs are
way down, timescales have shrunk, there is no time
to get anybody out of that for training, or to actually
have time to think creatively. Because you know
you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to hit the deadline
full stop. I think that’s a big issue. We’ve squeezed
things in the industry far too tight, to allow both
of those types of freedom.”
One of the pressures has come from changes in technology.
Some of the leaders we spoke to reported how clients
are searching for cheaper post-production alternatives
which forces downward pressure on suppliers to reduce
costs. For many of the research participants, the impact of
these increased commercial demands is that “there’s not
enough allowance for all the creative processes to
actually flourish within these time frames.”
As the literature review outlined, the creative sector is
fragmented with 97% of companies employing less than
50 people. In the focus groups and interviews, leaders in
the television sector for example, observed how power
is concentrated in the hands of a few broadcasters and
larger production houses, which they described as being
because of long-standing relationships with commissioners
and the lower perceived risk of working together given
their established reputations. It is a market in which “many
people supply and very few buy” resulting in “no easy
route to market” particularly for smaller independent
production houses. Some research participants said
success in the industry was forged through relationships
between people, which, for some, may include a shared
history going back to university days. Others said they
tended to hire people they already know as they are ‘tried
and tested’, but that this reduced the opportunity to hire
outside their own networks. Leaders talked of scenarios
in which they have to “roll people from one project
to another, almost immediately” leaving little time for
12

reflection, training or skills development amongst their staff.
The impact on training and development for freelancers in
the sector is even greater.
Creativity was described as an “ephemeral tenuous
thing” and leaders in the sector talk of how tensions can
arise between commercial needs and the creation of art. A
TV executive described, for example, the courage required
of leaders to draw a line under artistic projects that do not
meet business objectives, but recognised the complexity
involved in these kinds of judgment calls, using the success
of projects such as ‘The Full Monty’ that took ten years to
make as an example. She described the leadership process
in this situation as:
“Managing passion in a productive way while
still being focused on the way ahead, but not so
blinkered that you don’t see that you are focused
on going over the edge of a cliff.”
This view was shared by an interviewee who described
the need for leaders in the sector to be able to recognise
whether “you’re onto a good thing or whether you’re
up a blind alley.” Some focus group participants suggested
that these increased commercial demands have created
conditions in which a fear of failure has reduced the appetite
for risk. As one participant said:
“The commissioners haven’t got the bravery to fail.
Everybody should be able to fail. That’s probably
where the issue comes from, knowing that actually
you probably have only got the one shot.”
In this context, participants talked of individual protectionism
and a reticence to share ideas or to collaborate. As one
focus group participant said:
“Everybody wants to stake their territory. No one
exchanges their knowledge because they feel like
otherwise other people take over and then run
away with it.”
Other professionals talked of resistance to new entrants
and conservative attitudes towards experimentation. Some
professionals suggested that this resistance was a reaction
to the expectations possessed by new entrants which are
out of sync with reality, making them difficult to manage or
unsuitable for employment. Some participants felt that there
are too many graduates in the sector with “useless” media
and music technology degrees, which means that although
there is a pipeline of potential talent, the market conditions
are not ideal to nurture them.
Both interviewees and focus group participants talked about
the strong leadership that is required to create organisational
cultures in which both commerce and creativity flourishes,
but this was seen as being far from straightforward.
Culture
Professionals working freelance and on short-term projects
(a major element of the workforce in some sectors) talked of
their experiences of working with companies whose strategic
visions were not well communicated. Some professionals
reported working with organisations in which their strategic
direction is in flux. As one participant said:
“You get about two years in and suddenly there is a
change of management and there is a new five-year
strategy.” (Focus group participant)
Some of the interviewees spoke of leaders in the sector
being more focused on operational tactics as opposed to
true strategic thinking. As one person said:
“I wonder how focused people who run companies
are on the bigger picture of management. I think
there’s an element where it seems they’re so focused
on productions; get commissions, get them made,
get them out the door. They aren’t aware that there’s
another level of management and leadership that
they’re not engaging in.” (Interviewee)
Some freelancers said they felt excluded from the strategic
vision of the organisations they work with, and described
finding it difficult to develop the strategic skills which would
enable them to contribute to this vision. Others described
a short-termism within certain organisational cultures
that resulted in fewer opportunities to step-up and get
experience at the next level. As one participant said:
“We give them no help and no support at all under
those circumstances and quite often they fail.
There’s a huge amount of stress and pressure on that
person as a result of that.” (Focus group participant)
Some companies do provide training for their employees but
training for freelance workers was not found to be common.
Organisations rely on the skills that freelancers bring, but are
reticent to directly invest in them. Although it was recognised
that the “best companies invest in training their staff.”
13

Some people talked of the permeating effect of industry
context on organisations, particularly attitudes towards
risk. They described organisations being characterised by
risk aversion and reputation management and described
pervasive beliefs in the industry that “you are only as
successful as your last project”. Some suggested that
this limits innovation and creativity:
“I think what’s quite interesting – you’re saying
nobody wants to fail because their job is on the
line or the company share price is on the line or
whatever. The greatest entrepreneurs in this country
are saying they got there by failing two or three
times.” (Focus group participant)
When discussing the importance of creating organisational
cultures that encourage experimentation and risk, a leader
called for the UK to become more like other countries in
which there is more ‘free money’ to experiment. Another
person recalled the early days of digital television channels
which had yet to establish large audiences. They said:
“nobody was watching it, but there had to be
commissions” and in her organisation, although budgets
were small, it gave a platform “to be experimental”.
Some suggested that one way to reduce exposure to
risk is through collaboration:
“There’s a lot of caginess about ideas and ownership
of ideas. It’s really hard to break down years worth
of resistance to sharing. But that’s where we need
to go.” (Interviewee)
Many described having experienced the benefits of
collaboration but there were concerns around creative
control and intellectual property rights. One participant
from an art house cinema described how collaboration
across regions had produced a strong network of exhibitors
who shared workload, costs and risk, better serving their
audiences and providing cultural leadership for one another.
Where people found opportunities to work together with
those who may otherwise be competitors, they described
turning collaborations into mutually beneficial commercial
success. Those working in the same sector, but with
different products, could pool resources for example
to generate revenue for them all, as was the case for
a group of lingerie designers:
“We’ve recently done a special promotion for
Valentine’s Day. It’s the fourth year that we’ve done
it, where we mix and match each others products
and then promoted one another on Facebook and
Twitter and Instagram and tried to drive sales to one
another site. We’re all very respectful of one another
and supportive, it’s nice to have someone you can
lean on when you’re stuck.” (Interviewee)
Creative Leadership
Leaders in the sector were described as being responsible
for creating a shared vision, communicating it across the
organisation and then executing it within a complex market
environment. Many participants described the move into
leadership positions as challenging and explained the range of
skills required to successfully manage creative organisations,
professionals, projects and teams, often without formal
training. As one focus group participant described:
“You wouldn’t say to a finance person or to a legal
person, ‘actually, now, you’ve just got to go off and
write a script and be creative,’ because it would be
an absolute nightmare. They would all sit there for
about a day, write two lines, and then throw it in
the bin. But you do it the other way around. People
make assumptions that because people have got
this title, that somewhere along the lines someone
has sat down and shown them a PL account and
explained it to them.” (Focus group participant)
Creating a shared vision was widely regarded as a
cornerstone of leadership, but in many cases the
experiences of leaders in setting the vision was different
from having to execute it. In an industry that is “dependent
on the passion of the people to give it a spark and an
individuality and a flair”, ensuring that an organisational
vision is widely understood was linked to the successful
management of creative people. Managing creative
people was seen as a challenge for leaders because
“creatives don’t really like rules and structures.” When
managing creative professionals, people described the
leadership challenge of striking a balance between “setting
boundaries, but not preventing them from fully
expressing their creativity.”
A range of leadership approaches were described which
varied according to the context, people involved, time
frames, budgets and other variables. In some situations,
a clear hierarchy was required, whereas on other
occasions a more collaborative approach was found
to be more productive. For others, the leadership
challenge was to create an environment in which
people could feel safe to experiment:
“I think mostly it’s just about trying to keep
encouraging the experimentation against the
pressures that have been talked about. I think
that’s my job, in a way, is to try and create and
environment in which they feel safe in and still take
risks.” (Focus group participant)
14

In the interviews and focus groups, participants
distinguished between the challenges of leading an
organisation versus the challenges of leading a team,
given the sector is often characterised by project work.
As one focus group participant explained:
“Each time you have a project you have a whole new
group of people. You’re adjusting that vision to adapt
to the different teams that you’re working with. And I
think the challenge is how to keep the vision for the
company going simultaneously as the vision for the
individual projects.”
Those who had participated in short-term transitory projects
described feeling excluded from the organisational structure,
again highlighting the different demands of running an
organisation as opposed to running a team. Whilst for
others, the experience of working in temporary and diverse
teams brought benefits:
“Because there are so many freelancers involved,
there are always new people coming in, it is really
nice. They bring in new skills, new ideas, and so by
not being in the company, by being freelance, they
bring in quite a lot of new experiences, new gossip
sometimes.” (Focus group participant)
In teams where roles and contributions were seen as
diverse and specialist, leadership was described as fluid
and open to interpretation. One participant described this
as “the confusion of the definition of who is leading”.
Sometimes this resulted in successful collaboration, but
in other circumstances, particularly when teams were put
together for specific projects, leadership responsibilities
needed to be clearly defined.
Leaders highlight the importance of delegation, but this
was highly dependent on the companies’ circumstance.
Others described a point in an organisations’ growth where
they had brought in external leadership, or developed
talent internally, to lead non-creative roles, creating ‘dual
leadership’. These issues demand a certain set of leadership
skills, particularly around exercising judgement, flexibility, and
awareness of others. As one person described:
“I’m not from a commercial background, I’m from
a creative background. I’m a former BBC radio
producer. I think the challenge for me with business
is learning how to run an organisation, learning
how to develop structure and leadership skills. To
run an organisation was something of a challenge.”
(Interviewee)
A number of themes emerged which were seen as
‘tensions of creative leadership’, where research participants
described struggling to balance seemingly contradictory
demands, illustrated in Figure 6.
Figure 6: The five tensions of creative leadership
Commercial constraints
Focus on commercial potential of
products and restrict experimentation
Creative freedom
Foster innovation by creating
few restrictions
Collaboration
Develop ideas with others, share risk
and costs, remain open to new possibilities
Appetite for risk
Taking a chance on new products,
formats or new talent
Craft skills
Use technology to enhance
the creative process
Short-term
Adapt strategy for immediate conditions, hire
experienced staff, manage the project in hand
Competition
Protect ideas, safeguard intellectual
property and retain creative control
Fear of failure
Sticking to the ‘tried and tested’
Automation
Use technology to make processes
quicker and reduce costs
Long-term
Establish long-term strategy, develop
staff, bring in new talent
15

Many of the research participants described the journey
to leadership as challenging. Some leaders reported being
given the opportunity to lead on smaller projects which had
built their skills incrementally, whilst others developed their
skills under pressure by being ‘thrown in at the deep end’ or
just “winging it”. There was no fixed way seen to develop
skills and a wide range of formal and informal learning
methods had been drawn upon. Participants described
assumptions being made about the way in which the
leadership skills of those in senior roles had been acquired.
They had not been formally taught, nor had they necessarily
been learned from others who were themselves well
informed, which was described as the “blind leading
the blind”.
The most prevalent way in which individuals had developed
was through mentors. Those without formal mentors
described using informal arrangements and role models to
develop skills in a variety of areas. Mentor relationships are
not always described as successful and those that were,
had evolved organically between like-minded individuals.
They were seen as difficult and time consuming to source
and there were concerns around commercial sensitivity.
One of the key benefits of mentors was seen as their vast
experience. Reverse mentoring was suggested as a useful
option where the new and the experienced could learn from
one another.
It was widely reported that the transition from a creative role
to a leadership position involved the development of new
skills and the management of creative professionals presents
different challenges to managing in other sectors. Whether
leaders had come from creative roles, or from leadership
roles outside the creative sector, participants recognised
the need for leadership development. However, learning
needs and attitudes are complex, there was no one size fits
all, therefore learning interventions would need to consider
career stage, individual learning styles and individual needs
and aspirations.
Impact of context and culture on
creative leadership
It appears that leaders in this sector are shaped more
by their employment type than the industry in which they
operate. Since leadership roles in the creative sector
can be broadly divided into ‘independent workers’ and
‘organisational workers’ (Dodd, 2012), we found that
the nature of their employment had more impact on
their leadership gaps and development needs, than the
industry they were from. For example, within television the
leadership and management gaps presented by those
working freelance differed from those working in permanent
roles for broadcasters. Interestingly, differences were not
found across industries, the uniting factor was the nature
of employment. Those working independently had more in
common with each other in terms of their leadership and
management skills gaps and development needs, than
others from the same industry but who were working
from a position of employment (see Figure 7).
Figure 7: The impact of context and culture on creative leadership
Employment type and role
Organisational workers (‘the buyers’).
Commissioning, aggregation and
distribution of products.
Independent workers (‘the suppliers’).
Creation of products and supply of
services.
Organisational characteristics
Large companies operating within
formal business structures. Headed
by an employed CEO and owned by
shareholders.
Small and micro-organisations utilising
freelance workers. Headed by owner/
founder and characterised by informal
business structure.
Strategic challenges
Creating, communicating and
executing corporate strategy against
a backdrop of changing market
conditions.
Challenges around establishing a
consistent strategic vision and
identity, whilst satisfying fluctuating
buyer demand.
Leadership development needs
Employer provides training but is often
specific to the organisation which limits
opportunities to transfer learning and
skills across the sector.
Limited access to training due to
cost, time and availability. Contractual
nature of work makes it difficult to get
developmental feedback and to find
opportunities to step-up into more
senior role.
16

Leadership in this sector is complex. Both secondary
and primary data suggests that leadership development
interventions need to contain a strong bias for practical
application and be differentiated between those working
freelance and those employed by corporations. Any
development interventions should also take into account the
barriers to learning that have been identified. Management
and leadership development would be best facilitated by
industry professionals and should contain immersive and
experiential elements. Individuals should also be given an
opportunity to recognise the most appropriate learning
style for them by assessing their own preferences through
self-awareness and reflection.
Different modes of learning were explored in this research with
participants indicating a preference for learning that can be
delivered to smaller audiences (see Figure 8), with mentors
being most highly favoured. The next most popular modes
of learning included masterclasses, peer-to-peer support
and face-to-face courses. Less popular were books, online
portals and MOOCs, which were described as ‘passive’ styles
of learning. These modes of learning, it was found, would be
most suited for information transfer, when topics are low in
complexity or subject to little change (e.g. IP/legal).
The challenge, therefore, is to devise a range of
development interventions that satisfy individual needs,
whilst being offered in a format that is inclusive enough
to suit professionals, irrespective of their sector, level and
geographic location.
6 | Conclusions
Figure 8: Potential modes of learning by topic complexity and audience size
Mentor
Shadowing
Reflection MOOC
Books
Online portals
Masterclass
Modular face-
to-face course
MBA
Peer-to-peer
Single face-to-
face course
High
HighLow Size of Audience
Complexityoftopic
17

Brokering mentors
Given the overwhelming popularity of mentors to emerge
from this research, there is the potential for Creative
Skillset to further develop its online networking community
for creatives (Hiive) to facilitate connections between
professionals in this sector. Furthermore, by engaging in a
specific drive for reverse mentoring, Creative Skillset has an
opportunity to begin to break down some of the resistance
to new entrants in the sector, whilst delivering benefits to
both mentor and mentee. The benefits of reverse mentoring
are that younger entrants share their new ideas and skills
with experienced mentors, and experienced mentors share
their knowledge with younger professionals.
Case studies
Experimentation was described as critical for creativity,
but the industry appears to be counter risk. We would
recommend that Creative Skillset considers developing
a portfolio of written and live case studies so that a
‘safe’ environment is created within which experimentation
and risk taking can happen. This may also bring much
needed opportunities for collaboration. Case studies
could also be shared on Hiive so that others can learn
from these experiences.
Online QA sessions with
industry professionals
Creative professionals value learning from those with direct
experience of the issues they face and talked of being
inspired by stories of success as well as failure. Creative
Skillset might consider offering online QA sessions
delivered by industry experts. Sessions could be recorded
and made available on Hiive for those who were unable to
attend the live event.
Leadership development
Leaders in this sector surfaced a wide range of development
needs and have a variety of learning styles. Skill levels
vary, with some individuals looking to acquire skills for
the first time, whereas others are looking to hone existing
capabilities. Skills gaps can suddenly become apparent,
therefore scheduled development interventions as well as
“just-in-time” learning should be considered. Practical and
experiential learning experiences are valued most highly, but
these typically have time, cost and geographic implications.
Virtual collaboration opportunities between peers may
mitigate these barriers and allow for flexibility. Furthermore,
a modular leadership development programme that
draws on a combination of online and face-to-face delivery,
uses mentors and peer-to-peer support, and explores
subjects through written and live case study formats
would be beneficial.
I. Online survey data
1.1. Size of organisation led
45% of respondents are the CEO or founders of their
organisations. Of these, 16% are sole traders; 42% run
micro companies (i.e. 2-9 employees); 32% run small
companies (i.e. 10-49 employees); 8% run medium
companies (i.e. 50-250 employees); 2% run large
companies (i.e. 250+ employees)
Figure 9: CEO/Founder size of organisation
1.2. Number of reports
Of the non CEO/Founders, 50% have between one and five
direct reports; 28% have between six and ten direct reports;
14% have between 11 and 20 direct reports and 9% have
more than 20 direct reports.
1.3. Sectors represented
Figure 10: Organisational Sector
7 | Recommendations
2% Large
16% Sole proprietor
8% Medium
32% Small
42% Micro
Advertising
Marketing
Communications
Animation
Animation
Facilities
Fashion Textiles
Film
Games
Other Content
Creation
Television
Publishing
VFX
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
13
2
6
4
7
6
13
10
9
28
2
13%
6%
4%
7%
6%
13%
28%
10%
9%
2%
2%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
18

1.4. Location
Survey participants worked in organisations from across
the UK, with the exception of the North East of England
which was unrepresented.
Figure 11: Company location
1.5. Education level of survey participants
Figure 12: Highest level of education completed
1.6. Work experience of survey participants
Figure 13: Years of work experience
1.7. Age, gender and ethnic background
of survey participants
The majority of online survey respondents were aged
between 31 and 50 years old (see Figure 14). 45% of
respondents identified themselves as male, 53% as female
and 2% preferring not to say. 11% of respondents identified
themselves as Black, Asian or as Minority Ethnic group.
Figure 14: Age of online survey participants
GCSE/O level,
NVQ2 or equivalent
A level, NVQ3
or equivalent
Foundation degree/
HND or equivalent
Bachelors degree
or equivalent
Other Masters degree
or equivalent
MBA
Doctorate degree
or equivalent
0 10 20 30 40 50
2%
6%
10%
29%
47%
4%
1%
0 40 50
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
3%
12%
17%
28%
21%
11%
7%
0–5 6–10 11–15 16–20 21-25 26-30 30+
Years
Numberofrespondents
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2%
4%
40% 39%
11%
4%
25 and
under
26-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61 and
over
Years
Numberofrespondents
6%
UK wide
3%
East of
England
2% East
Midlands
(England)
2%
South West
(England)
1%
North East
(England)
3%
North West
(England)
2% West
Midlands
(England)
2% Yorkshire
the Humber
(England)
3%
Scotland
3%
Northern
Ireland
9%
South East
(England)
64% London
(England)
19

II. Interview data
1.8. Company size, sector and employment status
The ten interviewees included freelancers, company owners/
CEOs and employees in the private and not-for-profit
sectors. Organisations included sole proprietorships, micro,
small, medium and large companies in cinema, events,
fashion and textiles, film, games, music, radio and television.
III. Focus group data
1.9. Size of organisation
Within the focus groups, 58% of the participants were from
micro-organisations (i.e. 2-9 employees); 23% were from
small organisations (i.e. 10-49 employees); 3% were from
medium-sized companies (i.e. 50-250 employees) and 16%
were from large organisations (i.e. 250+ employees).
1.10. Sectors
The majority of focus group participants came from either
the film or TV industry.
Figure 15: Organisational sectors represented in the
focus groups
IV. Sources of funding and support
Funding and support for development of leadership,
management and business skills is available from
government and non-government organisations.
England
The Growth Accelerator Programme
An initiative from The Department for Business Innovation
Skills it is targeted at SMEs in England with the potential for
fast growth. It provides coaches to work face-to-face with
senior management teams to develop and implement
strategy and support sales, finance and innovation.
The amount payable is dependent on the number
of employees in a business. It is a one-off fee:
• For 1-4 employee businesses of £600 (+£700 VAT*)
• For 5-49 employee businesses of £1,500 (+£700 VAT*)
• For 50-249 employee businesses of £3,000 (+£700 VAT*)
*VAT is based on 20% of the nominal value of the service at £3,500, so all
businesses pay the same amount of VAT.
Leadership and Management Training
This scheme is aimed at building the skills and capabilities of
managers with bespoke training aimed at filling skills gaps in
different sized management teams. It provides match funding
of up to £2000 for every eligible senior manager. Participants
can also become part of the “Growth Community”, which is
a network for England’s high growth leaders.
www.ga.businessgrowthservice.greatbusiness.gov.uk/
what-we-offer/leadership-and-management/
Wales
Enhancing Leadership and Management Skills
This scheme offers a number of training opportunities
contributing towards strategic improvement and support
for development skills and capacity in the Welsh economy
and within Welsh businesses and organisations.
www.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/
skillsandtraining/leadershipmanagement/?lang=en
Leadership Management Wales
Offers information and signposting services to help
organisations analyse and understand their leadership
and management training needs.
www.lmw.org.uk/
Workforce Development Programme
Allows organisations with more than ten employees to work
with a Workforce Development Advisor (WDA) free of charge
to assess their leadership and management skills needs.
Funding is granted dependent on organisations size and the
skills needed. Organisations with less than ten employees
are able to apply directly to the Welsh Government for
funding towards accredited leadership and management
skills development. Both attract a funding contribution
rate of 50%
www.lmw.org.uk/news/workforce-development-
programme-discretionary-funding/
Northern Ireland
Leadership and Management Skills Assessment
An online self-assessment diagnostic tool to identify
management and leadership development needs for
individual managers which allows the user to assess
his or her leadership and management skills and identify
priority learning needs.
0 10 20 30 40 50
5%
Animation
Digital
Film
Games
Other Content
Creation
Radio
Television
VFX
8%
50%
3%
24%
5%
3%
3%
20

Direct Support Programmes
Offers a range of direct support programmes designed
to meet the leadership and management needs
of different organisations.
Management and Leadership
Development Programme
Offers a portfolio of accredited training options to help
employers meet the specific development needs of their
managers and leaders at varying levels.
Financial assistance is available from the Department for
Employment and Learning to eligible NI-based SMEs and
Social Economy Enterprises at a rate of 50% (maximum
£1,500 per participant). Eligible companies may access
up to £7,000 in funding in each financial year.
www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/leadership-and-
management-training
Scotland
Leadership Essentials from Scottish Enterprise
A programme which provides managers and directors of
SMEs with the knowledge and insight essential to leading
and growing a successful enterprise.
The programme consists of three elements: diagnostics,
workshops and mentoring.
Business Mentoring Programme
A mentoring introduction service is also offered separately.
When and where these programmes run depends on
demand, interested parties must register online:
www.ourskillsforce.co.uk/spotlight-on-industry/food-
and-drink/leadership-and-management-skills/
Exporting
Government initiative to assist with business
exporting opportunities:
www.gov.uk/government/news/online-exporting-
package-launched-to-help-british-businesses-sell-
while-they-sleep
Free advice to companies wishing to learn more
about exporting:
www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/ukti/
Non-government sources of
funding and support
MeWe360
Their mission is to provide support to creative business
potential that might otherwise go untapped.
www.mewe360.com/about/
Networking facilitators
There are organisations that seek to facilitate networking
and connecting amongst creative sector professionals,
their aim is to support the creative industries through
connecting individuals.
Chainy
www.chainy.com/about_us
The Knowledge Network
www.connect.innovateuk.org/web/creativektn
They publish a monthly “Creative Business Development
Briefing”, a digest of information for UK creative industries
businesses seeking funding, financing and business
development support. It is updated every month and
published on SlideShare (search “Creative Business
Development Briefing” on slideShare for the latest version).
www.slideshare.net/
Creative Industry Finance
This is an Arts Council England initiative offering business
development support and access to finance to a wide range
of creative and cultural enterprises, from micro businesses
through to major institutions.
www.creativeindustryfinance.org.uk
NESTA Creative Business Mentor Network
This network supports the founders of emergent and/or
established creative companies with ambitions for growth.
Organisations must fulfil the following criteria:
• Registered company in the UK, minimum of three years
trading, with year on year growth
• In the advertising, film, TV, digital media or games sectors
• Minimum turnover of £1m
www.nesta.org.uk/project/creative-business-mentor-
network#sthash.KihL3gXG.dpuf
School for Creative Start-ups
Delivers programmes that teach people how to start and run
better businesses.
www.schoolforcreativestartups.com/
21

V. References
Barron, F. Harrington, D. M. (1981). Creativity, Intelligence,
and Personality. Annual Review of Psychology, 32(1),
439-476. Bilton, C. (2007). Management and Creativity:
From Creative Industries to Creative Management
Blackwell Publishing.
Bilton, C and Leary, R. (2002).
What Can Managers do for Creativity? Brokering Creativity
in the Creative Industries. International Journal of Cultural
Policy, Vol.8. (1), 49-64.
BIS. (2012). Leadership and Management in the UK - the
Key to Sustainable Growth. Department for Business
Innovation and Skills.
Bridgstock, R. (2011). Skills for Creative Industries
Graduate Success. Education Training, 53(1), 9-26.
Brophy, D. R. (1998). Understanding, Measuring, and
Enhancing Individual Creative Problem-solving Efforts.
Creativity Research Journal, 11(2), 123.
CBI (2014). The Creative Nation:
A Growth Strategy for the UK’s Creative Industries.
CIC (2014). Create UK: Creative Industries Strategy.
Creative Skillset (2012). Employment Census of the Creative
Media Industries.
DeFillippi, R., Grabher, G., Jones, C. (2007). Introduction
to Paradoxes of Creativity: Managerial and Organizational
Challenges in the Cultural Economy. Journal of
Organizational Behavior, 28(5), 511-521.
DCMS (2014). Creative Industries Economic Estimates
Statistical Release.
DCMS (2015). Creative Industries Economic Estimates
Statistical Release.
Dodd, F. (2012). Women Leaders in the Creative Industries:
A Baseline Study. International Journal of Gender and
Entrepreneurship, Vol.4. (2), 153-178.
Dudek, S. Z., Hall, W. B. (1991). Personality Consistency:
Eminent architects 25 years later. Creativity Research
Journal, 4(3), 213-231.
Eikhof, D. R., Haunschild, A. (2006). Lifestyle Meets
Market: Bohemian Entrepreneurs in Creative Industries.
Creativity and Innovation Management, 15(3), 234-241.
Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties.
American Journal of Sociology, 1360-1380.
Gruber, H. E. (1996). The Life Space of a Scientist: The
Visionary Function and Other Aspects of Jean Piaget’s
Thinking. Creativity Research Journal, 9, 251-265.
Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1992). The Manual of Learning
Styles, Honey Publications, Maidenhead.
Jones, P., Comfort, D., Eastwood, I., Hillier, D. (2004).
Creative industries: Economic Contributions, Management
Challenges and Support Initiatives. Management Research
News, 27(11/12), 134-145.
Kirton, M. J. (1984). Adaptors and innovators— Why New
Initiatives Get Blocked. Long Range Planning, 17(2), 137-143.
Leadbeater, C., Oakley, K. (1999). The Independents:
Britain’s new cultural entrepreneurs. Demos.
22

Lin, S., Piercy, N. (2012). New Product Development
Competencies and Capabilities. Journal of General
Management, 38(2).
Mills, J., Cameron, R. (1993). Creativity and Biologists.
Creativity Research Journal, 6, 319-328.
Mumford, M. D. (2000). Managing Creative People:
Strategies and Tactics for Innovation. Human Resource
Management Review, 10(3), 313-351.
Mumford, M. D., Connelly, S., Gaddis, B. (2003). How
Creative Leaders Think: Experimental Findings and Cases.
The Leadership Quarterly, 14(4), 411-432.
Nesta. (2014). Mentoring in the Creative Sector.
Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey.
(2015). Dec-Feb 2015.
Office for National Statistics Labour Market Profile.
(2015). Jan-Dec 2015.
Powell, S. (2008). The Management and Consumption of
Organisational Creativity. Journal of Consumer Marketing,
25(3), 158-166.
Rae, D. (2004). Entrepreneurial Learning: A Practical Model
from the Creative Industries. Education + training, 46(8/9),
492-500.
Televisual (2009), Is Training Coming off the Tracks?
May 2009.
Townley, B., Beech, N., McKinlay, A. (2009). Managing in
the Creative Industries: Managing the Motley Crew. Human
Relations, 62(7), 939-962.
UK Commission for Employment and Skills (2013),
Employer Skills Survey.
23

Creative Skillset
Focus Point
21 Caledonian Road
London, N1 9GB
t: 020 7713 9800
e: research@creativeskillset.org
w: creativeskillset.org

SS8265_Mgment-Lship Report_LORES.PDF

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to SS8265_Mgment-Lship Report_LORES.PDF (20)

SS8265_Mgment-Lship Report_LORES.PDF