How artistic directors motivate the consistency of artists’ performance
ISSN: 2056-4945
Article publication date: 26 November 2019
Issue publication date: 26 November 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore what motivation strategies live-entertainment artistic directors (ADs) use to increase consistency in their employees’ performances.
Design/methodology/approach
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the research question: what motivation strategies do live-entertainment ADs use to improve consistency in employee performance? Semistructured face-to-face interviews with artistic and senior ADs of a large international live-entertainment company’s US division participated in the study. In addition to the interviews, a further analysis of archival records of artists’ evaluations, and written company documents regarding performance evaluation to understand the ADs’ strategies were completed. Finally, self-reported interview data compared to AD evaluations of artists from randomly selected prior years verified the ADs practices.
Findings
The finding indicated ADs use multiple techniques geared at improving employee well-being and technical competence, thereby creating an environment conducive to the employees self-determining their consistent behavior in performance.
Practical implications
These findings may offer managers across multiple industries a variety of strategies and techniques to use to improve consistency for their workers.
Originality/value
This study is the one of few that studies manager influence on the motivation of those employees whose job is to entertain others regardless of the employee’s emotional state. From these findings, ADs may determine how to implement workplace safety improvements, expanding employee well-being, which in turn can improve performance consistency.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dr Anthony G. Ricotta for providing the seminal research, which significantly contributed to development of the paper.
Citation
Ricotta, A.G., Fan, S.K. and Dwyer, R.J. (2019), "How artistic directors motivate the consistency of artists’ performance", Arts and the Market, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 162-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAM-05-2019-0019
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited