2 results
Seven - Scaling up networks for starving artists
- Edited by Chris Ansell, University of California, Jacob Torfing, Roskilde Universitet, Denmark
-
- Book:
- How Does Collaborative Governance Scale?
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 09 April 2022
- Print publication:
- 11 January 2018, pp 139-156
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
An increasing number of countries are adopting a creative industries policy platform, combining the film, digital, media, music, performing arts and design segments under one banner to stimulate economic development. A key reason for this is that the innovation generated by those that work in the creative industries (henceforth ‘creative workers’) appears to produce significant spill-over effects across multiple economic sectors, while requiring little government investment or regulation in comparison to previous cultural policy frameworks (Jaaniste, 2009; Banks and Hesmondhalgh, 2009). To date, however, government efforts to implement, or extend, a creative industries policy agenda have largely used localised cluster platforms, to the exclusion of any other strategy (UNESCO, 2013). Such a one-dimensional policy approach appears to have done little to address the significant labour problems associated with creative work (such as job insecurity, under-employment and labour exploitation).
At the grassroots level creative workers still appear to be suffering from an unregulated, precarious and exploitative labour environment (De Peuter, 2011; Huws, 2006). To mitigate these effects and generate consistent work creative workers have become reliant on the collaborative networks developed with other professionals and organisations within the field (Belussi and Sedita, 2008). While traditionally such collaborations have been embedded within localised ‘creative clusters’, increasingly creative workers are leveraging from their local connections to generate ‘non-local networks’, as such arrangements appear to provide additional benefits, such as opportunities to work on larger, higher paying projects (Hill, 2007; Vang and Chaminade, 2007). Mulgan and Albury (2003) define this process as ‘up-scaling’, meaning the ability of creative workers to leverage resources (including networks and partnerships) from the local to larger, regional, national and global scales of operation.
For creative workers non-local networks present as the most mature, up-scaled collaborative arrangements, exhibiting benefits over and above those of clustered arrangements (Giuliani, 2013). Such benefits include access to new markets and new collaborations, and these activities may have a significant effect in improving creative labour outcomes (Boso et al, 2013), though little empirical research exists to support these claims. In contrast, there has been extensive research on the impact of localised clustered arrangements for creative workers (Cooke and Lazzeretti, 2008), showing that local network initiatives can enhance the labour security of creative workers (Belussi and Sedita, 2008), and may act as a precursor to the more mature, up-scaled arrangements sought by policy.
Fourteen - The competition–collaboration dilemma: the perverse effects of mixed service integration policy approaches in Queensland
-
- By Robyn Keast
- Edited by Kevin Farnsworth, University of York, Zoë Irving, University of York
-
- Book:
- Social Policy Review 26
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 07 March 2022
- Print publication:
- 26 June 2014, pp 259-278
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
Integration, the combining of parts so that they work together, has long been advanced as a core strategy for the more efficient and effective delivery of social services in Australia, as exemplified by the numerous experimentations in form and location that have taken place since the late 1800s (Tierney, 1970). Integration continues to remain high on the Australian social policy agenda and is evident in a range of recent policy statements (for example, Australian Government, 2008; 2013; Australian Public Service Commission, 2009) as well as in prime ministerial speeches on improved social service integration (for example, Rudd, 2009). In the search for integration a number of approaches have been utilised, including structural initiatives such as central government agencies, mega-departments and lead agency models as well as procedural directives, including funding regimes and operational mandates. Vertical integration arrangements work by organising the various parts of a system under one umbrella organisation or body (Powell, 1990) and have been supplemented by horizontal forms such as whole-of-government approaches, partnerships, networks and collaborative arrangements that act as the ‘glue that binds’ people and resources together for collective action (Powell, 1990, p 325).
While the collaborative push (O’Flynn, 2009) currently shapes much of the public rhetoric for social services integration, several other approaches are also in play. Some of these can be traced back to new public management and its use of competition policy to establish more efficient and economical connections between sectoral elements (Earles and Moon, 2000) and to support growing demands by government and other funding providers for higher levels of accountability for outcomes (Australian Productivity Commission, 2010). In a recent twist to the integration and accountability reform agenda, amalgamation and merger have reappeared as key mechanisms to link up ‘like’ departments and smaller not-for-profit organisations to achieve a greater level of consistency in service provision (Deloitte, 2009). Amalgamation is the combination of two or more organisations or units into a new agency or a subsidiary controlled by one of the constituent members (Craswell and Davis, 1993). The benefit of such an approach is reduction of duplication and overlaps, for example through shared administration, co-location and closer alignment of outcomes or merger (Deloitte, 2009). In this way, efficient scale and scope can be achieved and resources can be more effectively targeted toward persistent problems.