Managing projects in creative industries: a compromise between artistic and project management values

Abstract For about the last ten years, the creative industries have been structuring themselves around projects; this is called projectification. With this research, we study the tension between artistic and project management values and compromises in projects in creative industries. Drawing on the Making Projects Critical approach, we used the Economies of Worth framework to analyze the results of an instrumental multiple case study of creative industries. We undertook semi-structured interviews with creative workers, art directors and project managers of small advertising agencies. This article highlights compromise between artistic and project management values as a condition for the viability of projects in creative industries. Our conclusion is that compromise is attainable if project managers focus not only on instrumental project management principles but also on the satisfaction and daily support of creative workers, and an educational-type relationship with customers. Given the tension between creative and project management values, achieving a compromise is a condition for the viability of projects in creative industries.