Introduction

Arts-based Initiatives (ABIs) can produce a wide range of business performance benefits. Nevertheless it is not straightforward to identify the links between arts-based management actions and the improvement of economic figures. In fact, the managerial use of the arts does not impact directly on business performance, but rather generates intermediate outcomes that ultimately enable the achievement of business benefits.

The identification of the cause-and-effects linking arts-based management actions and the improvement of business performance is a crucial issue for management, which has to be able to show the return on investment in ABIs. For this reason, it is essential to provide an answer to the following question: How is it possible to assess the impact of ABIs on the improvement of business performance? This is a key question in proving the value of using the arts for business purposes and accounting for the benefits of adopting ABIs in management.

The starting point for understanding the influence of ABIs on business performance improvements is the recognition of the transformational power of art forms. As illustrated in Chapter 3, the managerial deployment of the arts allows the development of organisational components. By managing aesthetic experiences and properties, ABIs can support the development of employees and organisational infrastructure, activating cause-and-effect chains that ultimately produce impacts on business performance.