Elsevier

Journal of Business Research

Volume 85, April 2018, Pages 386-395
Journal of Business Research

Arts-based initiatives in museums: Creating value for sustainable development

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.10.016Get rights and content

Abstract

The challenges to sustainable development (SD) have intensified following increases in terrorism, with catastrophic effects posing threats for security and social inclusion. As Islam is being associated increasingly with terrorism, islamophobia has polarized people in regard to Muslim and non-Muslim integration in secular societies, including Australia. Against this background, using standpoint theory, we consider the Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA) as a case study for exploring the role of arts-based initiatives (ABIs) as a source of value creation for SD and how the value created is retained. Drawing on the standpoints of multiple stakeholders and methods—focus groups, interviews, forums and documentary evidence—our findings highlight how ABIs as ‘soft’ and ‘non-threatening’ tools promote SD, facilitate social inclusion and retain value over time with important policy implications.

Introduction

Sustainable development (SD) is a contested term with multiple meanings, but the main tenets of this concept focus on the three interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of social, economic, and environmental dimensions of development (Dugarova and Lavers, 2014, Sakarya et al., 2012). In recent years, terrorism has emerged as a social and political problem, particularly in Western secular societies, threatening SD, and Australia is no exception. As Islam is increasingly associated with terrorism, perceptions about Muslims have generated a generalized fear of Islam, or ‘Islamophobia’ (Shryock, 2010, p. 13). With the rise in terrorism, islamophobia and increasing community insecurity threatening SD, there has been a greater focus on exploring innovative and strategic ways of dealing with challenges to make the world secure for present and future generations. The use of arts-based initiatives (ABIs) represents one such effort by organizations (Azmat, Fujimoto, & Rentschler, 2014). ABIs are defined as, “organizational and management interventions using one or more art forms that engage people both rationally and emotionally through either active or passive participation” (Schiuma, 2009, p. 3). Using works of art, dance, musicals or theatrical performances, as well as aesthetics, ABIs provide experiences that act as a catalyst, enabling personal and organizational development (profit and nonprofit), providing both personal and broader collective and societal benefits (Schiuma, 2009).

Past studies on ABIs have focused predominantly on their potential to create economic and social outcomes (Belfiore, 2002, Crooke, 2006, Sandell, 2002); the environmental benefits of ABIs have received relatively less attention. Further, most of the research on ABIs remains conceptual and lacks empirical evidence (Biehl-Missal & Antal, 2011). Research suggests that museums, as major cultural institutions, have the potential to significantly contribute to SD, and therefore need to do more and ‘rethink’ their roles in times of profound social, economic and environmental problems (Crooke, 2006, Janes, 2010). However, museum ABIs and their role in SD have received little attention until now. ABIs in museums are little researched, with few empirical studies examining their value creation and retention (Biehl-Missal & Antal, 2011). Moreover, existing studies on museum ABIs have been inconclusive (Belfiore, 2002, Sandell, 2002), with uncertainty about museum responsibility at the individual, community and societal levels. Hence, there is a need to understand empirically how ABIs adopted by museums create value for SD, particularly from the perspectives of different internal and external stakeholders, which remain under-researched (Antal & Strauss, 2013), a gap which our study fills.

Against this background, we examine the use of ABIs by the Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA), one of few such Islamic museums in the world, as a case study to explore the role of ABIs in creating value that leads towards SD. ABIs in the museum take the form of artistic interventions that include works of art and cultural artefacts, events, and public and educational programs. Therefore, the overarching objective of our study is to explore how ABIs in museums facilitate the creation and retention of economic, social and environmental value over time that contributes to sustainable development.

We answer this question using the theoretical lens of standpoint theory in a case study framework. Standpoint theory is a heuristic device for understanding the interests and viewpoints of different stakeholders, providing broader horizons for “viewing issues from a multiplicity of perspectives, including the perspectives of those who are the least advantaged” (Adler & Jermier, 2005, p. 941). Thus, our paper examines the standpoints of the IMA's internal and external stakeholders to provide a rich understanding of how different forms of ABIs create and retain the economic, social and environmental value that contributes to SD.

The paper continues by reviewing Australian Muslim experiences, followed by a brief discussion of standpoint theory to explain our theoretical perspective. Next, we discuss museums, ABIs, and their role in value creation and how that value is retained over time. The methodology used for this research is presented next, after which we report our findings. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, and conclude with the limitations of our study and avenues for further research.

Section snippets

Australian Muslim experiences

Australian Muslims make up at least 1.5% of the Australian population (HREOC, 2004), but the Australian relationship with Muslims and Islam dates back to the 18th century, beginning with the trade, socialization and intermarriage between Indigenous and Indonesian communities, followed by the Afghan camel drivers who worked on inter-state transportation in the 19th century (Fahour, 2011). However, recent research suggests that the social difficulties that those Australian Muslims faced as a

Research setting

Since the advent of cutbacks and crises, community fear of the ‘other’ and a need for museums to widen their remit (Goulding, 2000, Shryock, 2010), museums have been under pressure to broaden the nature of their experiences as well as their audiences, and to be sustainable at the same time. The IMA is rising to the challenges faced by museums around the world. Opened in March 2014, the IMA is the first Islamic Museum in Australia. It aims to create a culture of awareness and understanding

Findings and discussion

This section responds to Proposition 1, Proposition 2, Proposition 3 exploring, whether museums' ABIs facilitate the creation and retention of economic, social and environmental value that contribute to sustainable development. Quotes used are representative of the sample, unless otherwise indicated. At times, due to limitations of space, we have supported the arguments using a single quote. To protect interviewee anonymity, we use pseudonyms while indicating religion and stakeholder group.

Discussion and conclusion

In the context of rising challenges to SD following increases in terrorism, international awareness of the significance of the arts and its link to value creation, and particularly the lack of research on museum ABIs and how they create value that leads to SD, this study is timely. It seeks to explore how different ABIs in a museum create and retain value, highlighting the role and relevance of museum ABIs, using the IMA as a case study. To compensate for the limitations of a single case study,

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor Russell Belk, York University, Canada, for his valuable feedback and input in the drafting and revision of this manuscript. We also acknowledge the Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA) for their participation and support in this research study.

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    This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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