Journal of Media Business Studies

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Critical creativity: managing creativity as a

strategic resource in media organisations

Nando Malmelin & Sari Virta

To cite this article: Nando Malmelin & Sari Virta (2021) Critical creativity: managing creativity as a
strategic resource in media organisations, Journal of Media Business Studies, 18:3, 199-213, DOI:
10.1080/16522354.2020.1858677

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2020.1858677

Published online: 17 Dec 2020.

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JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES
2021, VOL. 18, NO. 3, 199–213
https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2020.1858677

Critical creativity: managing creativity as a strategic resource

in media organisations
Nando Malmelina,b and Sari Virtac,d
a
School of Business, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland; bVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo,
Finland; cMedia, Management and Transformation Center, Jönköping International Business School,
Jönköping, Sweden; dMetropolia University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia, Finland

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

This article addresses the critical role of creativity as a core resource in Received 26 May 2018
media work. Drawing on an empirical analysis, the study produces Accepted 30 November 2020
a new understanding about the significance of creativity in media KEYWORDS
organisations and their management. It identifies three critical aspects Creativity; media
of creativity, i.e. co-operation willingness, experimental atmosphere and organisation; media
supportive practices, and discusses three corresponding managerial management; strategic
focus areas. Thus, this article offers both theoretical contributions in resources; media work
relation to critical creativity in media work and practical implications for
managing creativity as a strategic resource in media organisations.

Introduction
Although some recent studies have discussed the significance of creativity in media
organisations and in media work (e.g., Berglez, 2011; Hesmondhalgh & Baker, 2011;
Malmelin & Virta, 2016; Markham, 2012; Nylund, 2013), research on the critical role of
creativity in the media industry is limited. However, given the rapid changes that are
sweeping the media industry, it has been argued that managing organisational creativity
(e.g., Drazin et al., 1999; Woodman et al., 1993) and developing creative and innovative
capabilities are pivotal for the future success of media companies (Malmelin & Nivari-
Lindström, 2017; Küng, 2011; see also George, 2007). Creativity has been identified as a key
enabler for developing new ways of working, new products and services as well as for new
commercial solutions in the media industry (Malmelin & Nivari-Lindström, 2017).
Three reasons can be found for the research gap on creativity in the media industry. First
of all, creativity has been considered a mysterious phenomenon that is difficult to describe
and explain by scholarly research (e.g., Klausen, 2010). Also, creativity is an integral and
inherent part of the everyday job of journalists and media content professionals, and it is
difficult to specify what creative work actually is and what kind of thoughts and activities
can particularly be categorised as creative (Küng, 2008a). The skills and methods of creative
work are often based on the tacit knowledge of creative individuals and not, for example, on
systematically developed creative methods and practices within the organisation.

CONTACT Nando Malmelin nando.malmelin@vtt.fi VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Ltd, P.O. Box 1000,
FI-02044 VTT, Finland
© 2020 Media Management and Transformation Centre
200 N. MALMELIN AND S. VIRTA

Second, creativity has been discussed in so many different ways (e.g.,

Hesmondhalgh & Baker, 2011; Runco & Jaeger, 2012) that in many contexts the
concept has become a clichéd catchword. Academic researchers have not extensively
contributed to the discussion about creativity in business and work, leaving the ground
open for superficial views and opinions in the creativity debates (e.g., Ford & Gioia,
1995; Malmelin & Nivari-Lindström, 2017). Third, the achievements of creativity
research have not been found particularly interesting or applicable when viewed
from the perspective of organisational needs. Creativity is seen as an abstract and
multi-dimensional concept (e.g., Amabile, 1996) that is difficult to define clearly and to
apply in practice.
This article aims to address these shortfalls. The study is based on a qualitative
empirical analysis of magazine journalists’ views, comprehensions and interpretations
of the role of creativity role in their work and in the operations of their respective media
companies. Magazine publishing can be considered a particularly interesting sector of the
media industry because it is characterised by continuous creation and incremental
renewal of media products in everyday creative work. Additionally, companies in the
magazine industry are in the process of adapting to the disruptive and often unpredict­
able changes taking place in the operating environment, especially due to digitalisation
(Picard, 2005; see also Gershon, 2013; Storsul & Krumsvik, 2013).
The analysis in this article focuses on the perceived critical role and impact of creativity
in media organisations. By studying descriptions of critical incidents, we identify and
elaborate on creative processes in media organisations. Our aim is thus to examine and
define the core aspects of creativity as a critical resource in media work. Although our
empirical material is gathered from media workers in the magazine sector, and although we
recognise that the nature and role of creativity may vary in different media sectors, we aim
at analysing the general aspects and prerequisites for developing the concept of critical
creativity in media organisations and in the field of media management.
The article contributes to the evolving research field concerned with media organisa­
tions, and especially to research about media work, media production and media
management (e.g., Deuze, 2007, 2009; Picard & Lowe, 2016). It offers new empirically
grounded insights into the perceived critical role, impact and aspects of creativity in
media organisations. The findings are expected to have significant implications both for
the research field and for the practice of media work and media management. We argue
that in order to innovate new products and services, to renew organisational practices
and to enhance business competitiveness, it is necessary to have a better understanding of
the strategic role of creativity in media organisations.
The article is structured as follows. First, we discuss our theoretical framework and the
key concepts. Second, we describe the research context, empirical material and the methods
used. Third, we analyse the empirical data and present the findings of the study. Finally, we
conclude by discussing the findings in the context of our theoretical framework.

Theoretical framework
Intensifying competition in the media industry has eroded business profitability, and
media companies are having to develop and expand their activities with shrinking
economic resources (Küng, 2011; Picard & Lowe, 2016). In the media industry, the
 JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES 201

development and use of company resources are major issues of strategic decision-
making. This is particularly crucial because of the ongoing industry changes that are
challenging traditional thinking, business models and practices. The management of
media organisations has struggled to identify and define their most important strategic
resources and capabilities for competitive advantage and future success, as well as to
evaluate which areas of business and in what way can be utilised in the future. (E.g. Küng,
2008a; Mierzjewska & Hollifield, 2006; Picard, 2011)
This highlights the importance of resources that already exist in media organisations.
It can be argued that one of the most important resources of media organisations are the
creative capabilities of their employees. This is because the success of companies depends
on the creativity, skills and knowledge of the people ideating, designing and producing
media products and services. As earlier theory suggests, creativity is a core resource in
media organisations for innovation and growth (e.g., Albarran, 2006; Aris & Bughin,
2009; Gershon, 2013; Küng, 2008b). In general, creativity can be considered an essential
feature of many successful organisations, but it appears to be especially crucial to media
firms and other companies in creative industries, in which creativity is constantly
required to accomplish and develop everyday operations.
Although researchers have not reached consensus about a generalisable definition of
creativity (Styhre & Sundgren, 2005), it is usually defined via two principles: creativity
produces original or novel ideas that are also considered useful and appropriate
(Malmelin & Nivari-Lindström, 2017; Runco & Jaeger, 2012). In each context these
criteria of creativity are defined on a collective basis: whether or not a given product
(or service etc.) meets the criteria for creativity in that particular context will be decided
by a group of people familiar with the domain in question (e.g., Amabile, 1996;
Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). In other words, creative activity must get the approval of
a certain expert group (see also Rudowicz, 2003; Runco, 2007). This is a key element in
most definitions of creativity. The early definition by Morris Stein (1953), for instance,
stressed that it is necessary to have a collective assessment from some group that the
creative activity is useful and appropriate for the given situation.
For creativity to be critical as a strategic resource, it should have significant implica­
tions for the media company’s business, operations or future prospects. Thus, the role
of creativity for the media organisation is based on the company’s core operations,
product and service portfolio as well as its strategic directions. According to Lucy Küng
(2008a, 2011)), media organisations should continuously and systematically develop
their creative potential and management. The better media companies manage to
develop and use the creativity of their workers, teams and networks, the greater is
their potential to develop interesting and innovative products and to increase their
business competitiveness. Accordingly, we argue that media organisations should focus
on understanding the significance of the various core resources they possess, including
creativity, and how these resources can be better utilised and further developed as
strategic resources.
This is particularly topical because the media industry is changing rapidly and the
ability of creative organisations to renew and innovate is crucial in general (e.g., Jones
et al., 2016). The media industry has a long and impressive tradition, and it has developed
a set of paradigmatic principles and a dominant logic that guides business operations (e.g.
Maijanen, 2015; see also Ess, 2014; Küng, 2017). The legacy media sector has based its
202 N. MALMELIN AND S. VIRTA

decision-making on doctrines and practices that have proved functional in the past. At
the same time, however, the same doctrines and practices may have slowed companies in
reinventing themselves and developing new initiatives. Thus, the management and
exploitation of creative resources are topical challenges for media companies in the
current business environment.
In the media industry, creativity can be conceptualised as a part of organisations’
human capital (Runco, 2007, p. 173). In creativity research, human capital has been
defined as “the knowledge, abilities and skills of workers as well as their time and energy”
(Getz & Lubart, 2009, p. 207). However, creativity remains one of the most mysterious
phenomena with respect to organisational human resources (Styhre & Sundgren, 2005).
In the media industry, creativity can be considered a particularly prominent element of
companies’ operations, setting media organisations apart as a distinctive management
environment compared with many other industries (e.g., Mierzejewska, 2011).
For example, magazines are based on concepts that guide the continuous production
and development of the product (e.g., Picard, 2005). Thus, the magazine publishing
industry is characterised by ongoing creation and production of new and unique creative
content in products. Every new issue of a magazine and each individual article is a result
of a particular creative process, as opposed to many consumer goods or other types of
industrial mass products based on standardisation. The design and production of
a magazine is guided by the concept and the format, but its success is based on journalists
creating new and interesting content for readers. The media industry in general, and
magazine publishing in particular, can thus be described as being characterised by
continuous, incremental renewal of media products.
Following from the above, creativity can be regarded as a critical resource for media
companies. This kind of thinking connects to the so-called resource-based view of the firm
(Penrose, 1959/2009; see also Barney, 1991; Sirmon et al., 2007), which sees the firm as
a collection of productive resources. This school of thought assumes that the resources
administered by the company constitute the foundation for its strategy and competitiveness,
and that the success of the company depends on how the resources are organised and
managed. The company’s strategic decision-making concerning the organisation and use
of the critical resources under its management will steer the nature of the company’s business
operation as well as its success. An investigation of organisational resources, such as
creativity, thus provides a good basis for describing and modelling the operation and strategic
success factors of companies in the media industry. (Mierzejewska, 2011; Chan-Olmsted,
2006; see also Landers & Chan-Olmsted, 2004; Oba & Chan-Olmsted, 2007.) In this article,
we concentrate on analysing creativity as one of these core and critical strategic resources in
media work. Next, we discuss the methodology and describe the empirical data of the study.

Methodology
The empirical data of our qualitative study were collected among journalism profes­
sionals at Finland’s three biggest magazine publishers: Sanoma Magazines, Otavamedia
and A-lehdet. The sample comprised the editorial staff of these companies’ consumer
magazines. Personal invitations were sent to the respondents by email. The email
addresses were provided by the companies participating in the research. Out of the 380
invited recipients, 76 responded. Thus, the response rate was 20%. Of the respondents,
 JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES 203

38% worked in the role of journalist, 12% were art directors, 11% producers, 11% editors
in chief, 9% desk editors, 9% graphic designers and 7% sub-editors. In addition, 4% of the
respondents occupied “other” job roles. Many respondents had diverse and extensive
experience as media industry professionals. Many had previously worked in other sectors
of the media industry.
Using the critical incident technique (e.g., Butterfield et al., 2005; Edvardsson & Roos,
2001; Flanagan, 1954) and an online questionnaire, 152 writings about critical incidents
regarding creative work in magazine media organisations were collected, comprising an
empirical material of approximately 10 000 words in total. The responses were in the
Finnish language.
The research participants produced the research data in their own words in retrospective
self-reports (e.g., Butterfield et al., 2005), which provided detailed and clear descriptions of
the critical incidents. The instructions for answering the questionnaire were designed to
invite elaborations of critical incidents regarding creativity in the respondents’ work. The
first open-ended question concerned incidents resulting in especially successful creative
work (“Please recall a situation related to your work where you and/or your team succeeded
in particularly good creative work. Tell a story or describe in some other way the situation
in as much detail as possible. Elaborate on the conditions, agents, actions and consequences
of the incident in detail.”) Correspondingly, the second question prompted the respondents
to describe situations where creative work did not succeed well or as expected. The
questions aimed at capturing both positive and negative critical incidents regarding the
antecedents of critical creativity, which is the focus of the study. This follows a commonly
used approach in the critical incident technique (Edvardsson & Roos, 2001). The two
questions posed to the research participants also formed the frame of reference for our
analysis of the critical incidents (see Flanagan, 1954).
The principles of the critical incident technique can be utilised flexibly depending on the
research situation (Flanagan, 1954). The method enables in-depth evaluation of creative
work and the critical role of creativity in our case. The technique guides the respondents to
evaluate the critical incidents and factors at work and to identify which ones could be the
most significant, i.e. critical for creativity, from the perspective of their work and the team.
That kind of self-evaluation is a useful method for purposes of exploring not only actual
events and practices, but also people’s thoughts, feelings and interpretations.
There are also potential problems with the method. Writing the responses requires
individual willingness and time and effort on the part of the respondents, which is not
always easy to secure. Also, the researcher is unable to pose further questions to clarify the
answers, as would be done in a standard research interview. However, journalistic profes­
sionals are accustomed to writing in an easily understandable and clearly descriptive
manner, which makes the method especially suitable for the respondent group in this study.
There is extensive debate and discussion among media professionals about the current
state of the media industry, which may have the effect of converging the respondents’ views
and arguments in the research situation. When a respondent is placed in the role of an
expert of the field in question, it is possible that they will be inclined to answer in a manner
that is consistent with mainstream views, ways of thinking and discourses in the field.
Organisations involve routine practices to which the professionals working in the company
have gradually become socialised. Perceptions and understandings of organisational prac­
tices are largely grounded in individual tacit knowledge that is difficult to explicate. Often
204 N. MALMELIN AND S. VIRTA

respondents can give just a simple, pared down response in the research situation.
Sometimes they may consciously try to give an account that distorts reality, either from
their own or from the organisation’s point of view. (Kreiner & Mouritsen 2005, 155–156.)
In our study, we made a deliberate effort to avoid industry jargon by steering the research
participants towards responses focused on the specific media and editorial team in which
they worked. In other words, the questions prompted answers on day-to-day work and
respective incidents. Thus, the respondents were not placed in a particularly artificial
position in the study, for instance, in the role of a general media expert, but they were
encouraged to answer the questions from the vantage-point of their own jobs and editorial
teams, i.e. their particular speciality area and everyday work.
The inductive analysis process was driven by the empirical data (cf. Butterfield et al.,
2005). The process consisted of three stages: it proceeded from the research data to
interpretations and to conclusions (Gioia et al., 2012). In the first stage of analysis, the
respondents’ critical incident descriptions were carefully read in several iterative cycles.
During the readings, emerging coding categories were identified and formed. (Butterfield
et al., 2005; Miles et al., 2014) These initial codes emerged iteratively when moving
between the empirical material and our frame of reference (Flanagan, 1954). In the first
stage of analysis, we identified 22 emerging informant-centric concepts (first-order
concepts, see Gioia et al., 2012), which were used for coding the raw data. These included
codes reflecting “shared co-ideation”, “respecting colleagues’ work”, “ability to take risks”
or “ability to seize the moment”.
In the second stage, the initial first-order concepts were combined by identifying
similarities and differences among them (Gioia et al., 2012). The first-order concepts
were grouped to generate composite and more abstract second-order themes. This stage
of analysis resulted in nine broad thematic themes (e.g., “collaborative approach”, “com­
plimentary feedback” or “enthusiasm and engagement in product creation”), which were
discussed in depth by the researchers in order to build combined understandings for
creating aggregate dimensions towards theoretical abstractions (Gioia et al., 2012).
In the third and final stage of analysis, the second-order themes were further condensed
into three aggregate dimensions, i.e. the critical aspects of creativity, which are presented in
the Findings section. Both the first-order concepts and the second-order themes were
translated from Finnish, the original language of the research data and the analysis. To
illustrate the process of analysis in detail, we present the first-order concepts, the second-
order themes and the respective aggregate dimension in Appendix 1 (cf. Gioia et al., 2012).
The first stage of analysis was completed by the second author. She shared the results
with the first author for comments and critique. In the second and third stages of the
analysis, the authors discussed the choices and development of the coding and categor­
isation. Accordingly, the resulting second-order themes were co-produced by the
researchers in several iterative rounds of discussing the first stage coding and analysis.
This resulted in integrating the second-order themes to formulate the aggregate dimen­
sions and thus focusing on the most essential issues in relation to our frame of reference
(Butterfield et al., 2005; Flanagan, 1954). This process helped the researchers clarify the
relationships between the incidents and deepen the interpretations for drawing conclu­
sions. This combination of two cooperating researchers, i.e. intercoder agreement, sup­
ports the triangulation and thus the credibility of the analysis (e.g., Butterfield et al., 2005;
Creswell, 2014; Miles et al., 2014).
 JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES 205

Findings
In the following, we present the findings of our analysis. We introduce three critical
aspects of creativity, i.e. co-operation willingness, experimental atmosphere and supportive
practices. These were found to be characteristic of creative work in media organisations in
the empirical analysis. As Figure 1 below illustrates, although these aspects are analyti­
cally distinct, they are interdependent. For example, creating an experimental atmo­
sphere in an organisation would be difficult without co-operative willingness, and even
though both of these aspects would be in order, critical creativity would be severely
hampered by the lack of supportive practices. The results of the analysis are categorised
along these three aspects in the following. The quotes in the text are translated excerpts
from the empirical data and they illustrate the findings in the respondents’ own words.
The first critical aspect concerning creative work is co-operation willingness. This
implies the team members’ volition and capability of adopting a collaborative approach
to creative work as well as being aware of its crucial importance for creativity. Creativity
appears to be enhanced by professionalism not only in relation to the actual tasks of the
work, i.e. magazine journalism and production, but especially by the will and skill of the
team members to work together with others in a way that is appreciative and productive.
A respondent described this as follows:

“We have reached good results when all of us respect and value each other’s professional
skills. We do not ‘diss’ anyone, but we challenge others by making suggestions for other
options. Work is a bit like play – issues are handled as professional issues, and never as
personal remarks. The target is clear and everyone plays toward the same goal.”

Media professionals with different knowledge, skills and backgrounds are needed in the
team process of creating media products. From the creativity point of view, team
composition is an important element in enabling successful co-operation as a critical
resource for creative media work. The empirical material contained several incident
writings about what kind of team constellations can be considered the most supportive
for team members’ creative capabilities. The following excerpt illustrates the crucial
perceived importance of the team closeness and familiarity for co-operation:

Co-operation
willingness

CRITICAL
CREATIVITY

Experimental Supportive
atmosphere practices

Figure 1. Three aspects of critical creativity.

206 N. MALMELIN AND S. VIRTA

“I believe that the best creativity emerges in a small team, because then people can better
concentrate on each other, interaction is effortless and even the shyest members have the
courage to say out loud what they think.”

However, teamwork alone does not seem to be a sufficient condition for creative results.
Teams need to be organised in a way that supports creativity. One key issue to consider is
building teams that are inclusive, balanced and well organised. This can enable the effective
utilisation of team members’ knowledge and abilities as important resources for creative
work. If this is not the case, creativity may be blocked, as one respondent explained:

“Creative work will not succeed if there a very dominating person is involved who fills the
space and does not let anyone else speak; if there is someone who shoots down the ideas of
others; if there is no trust in the group; if the work is badly organized and there is no time for
spontaneous ideation. Then you cannot give much to others, either.”

The second aspect of critical creativity is labelled experimental atmosphere. This refers to
a working culture that treasures creativity as a core resource of and a success factor for
media work. A creativity-supporting atmosphere encourages media professionals to
experiment with new things and helps them to believe in their creative capacities and
capabilities. This kind of experimental atmosphere includes the ability and permission to
take risks. A research participant wrote:

“Embracing change sometimes requires a jump into the unknown. A good, open, encoura­
ging and upholding atmosphere stimulates one to trust oneself, and does not downplay
creativity”.

The task of building and nurturing an experimental atmosphere is a shared responsibility

and concerns all members of the co-operative team. An experimental team atmosphere
enhances possibilities to present and discuss different kinds of ideas in a supportive and safe
environment. As a result, creative potential can be released and utilised as a critical resource
for media work. In such an environment, having fun was considered an important
characteristic of creative work, as this illustration from the research material exemplifies:

“I can illustrate what creative ideation is like at its best among us. In order to develop new
things we only need a good atmosphere where everyone feels safe. When we are creating
ideas, anyone can throw ideas in the air, however crazy. Nobody will respond that the idea
cannot work. No, the answer is that someone will start to develop the idea further. This is
how ideas are developed toward fully feasible ideas. And all of this is really fun!”

A further central characteristic of an experimental atmosphere in media work is enthu­

siasm. The positive emotions that go together with this enthusiasm support engagement
that may lead to critical creativity. When positive enthusiasm is combined with will­
ingness to co-operate, the implications may carry favourable potential for future busi­
ness. A respondent explained:

“We got free hands regarding a topic which we all loved. Making the pull out was super fun!
We created ideas, pondered, talked a lot, took examples from foreign magazines, and
divided the tasks among the team members successfully. Everyone was allowed to create
ideas, to make a concrete contribution and have an impact. Everyone agreed that the result
was very successful.”
 JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES 207

Further in this regard, lack of engagement typically distorts the creativity of teammates,
which was illustrated by a research participant: “Motivation and creativity gets bogged
down when someone starts to pull in another direction and does not show appreciation
for work done by colleagues.”
The role of managers is crucial in creating and maintaining the experimental work
atmosphere that is critical for creativity. Lack of leadership may adversely affect creativ­
ity, as illustrated in this data excerpt: “Creative work will be hampered if you get the sense
that mediocre thinking and accomplishments are good enough for the management.
Creativity must be a shared passion, a mood.” Colleagues and other team members can
also distort the experimental atmosphere: “Negativity affects the atmosphere, and in the
end not even the positive ones will have the strength to try out new things and experi­
ment.” This kind of negative atmosphere can result in a downward spiral of dwindling
creativity, leading to decreasing creative potential for future development.
The third critical aspect related to creativity in media organisations is supportive
practices. These include systematic methods of and practical applications for supporting
creative work. Although there are various and often highly specialised professional roles
in producing media products, working together cross-professionally contributes to the
critical creativity of media professionals and organisations. The respondents repeatedly
described how joint practices of planning and co-operation supported their creative
work. This also led to increased motivation among the media professionals, which
further supported their creative capacities. As one respondent illustrated:
“Art director, journalist and the editor were involved in the planning. At its best, the
ideation was a ‘crisscross’ process: The editor had good points concerning the visual
elements of the story, the art director was good in questioning shared ideas, always rejecting
the first option and insisting on something better. The journalist had created the basic ideas
for the story, and we started to develop it from there. An excited atmosphere was created
starting from the planning stage, and it was sustained throughout the production process.”

Openness for new ideas and motivation to support shared ideation can be considered
important for creativity in media production work. Staying open to shared idea devel­
opment seems especially important at the beginning of the creative processes, but is not
limited to that stage. A research participant described this as follows:
“In the first meeting it was essential that everyone participated in the ideation. Nobody was
belittled or dismissed, and the discussion was an open fluctuation from which the best ideas
were picked for the actual story. Everyone participated in a focused way in creating some­
thing new and saw in their minds the whole that was being created.”

Managers have a pivotal role in relation to the supportive practices of creative work.
Managers can support critical creativity by participating in shared planning and by
remaining open to new ideas suggested and developed. However, it seems especially
important that managers do not dictate, restrict or overrule the efforts of creative media
workers. If this happens, the creative motivation of team members can quickly disappear
and the potential of their creative resources can be lost, as illustrated in the following:
“Failures are often related to instructions given from above. The manager may have a strong
vision of what kind of story s/he is after, but fails to sell the idea to the others. If I stick with
the original plan, trying to do what I was asked to do by the manager, the end result is often
weak.”
208 N. MALMELIN AND S. VIRTA

Positive feedback appears to be important in media professionals’ everyday work. When

media professionals receive valuable feedback and feel they have succeeded in their
creative work, their motivation and capacity for future tasks will be enhanced. Positive
feedback from colleagues is valued, but it is especially crucial when it comes from
managers. Successful outcomes also motivate further creativity, as described in one
incident writing:
“Success and creative solution creation were impacted by having a loose enough deadline,
but not more than a few days. Also, I had relaxed during the weekend and had just got
positive feedback for another story (supporting my self-confidence). The success enhanced
my motivation to write a good story and do the work with dedication.”

Further, the importance of supportive feedback is especially emphasised in relation to

situations that call for a special kind of creative aspiration and courage to initiate new
ideas or approaches. An excerpt illustrates:
“I had an idea for a new magazine, which was put in production and is still being issued.
I was encouraged by a couple of colleagues to go and be brave enough to present my idea to
the management. It was wonderful to get a positive response.”

In addition to the above findings relating to creativity-supporting practices, it seems

central to ascertain that everyone in the creative team knows the aims of the creative
work, is clear about the respective plans and agrees with the ways of working. Thus,
reclaiming the results of creativity as a critical resource builds on well-defined everyday
working processes and managerial capabilities of implementing them. A respondent
illustrates this role of management in enabling creativity:
“From the manager, this requires a supportive attitude and the ability to get excited about
different things, but also making clear arrangements concerning how to move forward, so
that everyone leaves the meeting with clear instructions of what to do.”

To summarise the findings of our analysis and based on the three aspects of critical
creativity presented, we argue that a culture of collaboration is an essential resource for
creativity in media organisations. Creativity requires readiness to work and change
together, openness to try out new things and to look at ideas from a totally new angle,
as well as to challenge existing practices and to create new work procedures. To achieve
a culture of collaboration for critical creativity in practice, it is crucial, firstly, to support
different aspects of cooperation willingness. Second, it is essential to try to find ways to
nurture this culture by supporting an experimental work atmosphere. Third, it is
imperative to establish supportive practices of critical creativity in media work. These
requirements may be important for media professionals in general, but they are especially
indispensable for media managers aiming to support creativity as a critical resource of
media organisations and production. In the following, we discuss these findings in
relation to the theoretical framework of this article and suggest ideas for further research
on the critical role of creativity in media work.

Discussion and conclusions

This study contributes to the evolving research on media work and its management,
particularly from the viewpoint of creativity in media organisations. Grounded in an
 JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES 209

empirical qualitative analysis, the article opens new perspectives to understanding the
critical role and impact of creativity in media work and as a strategic resource in media
companies. The main result of this study was to identify three organisational aspects of
critical creativity. These are 1) co-operation willingness, which is especially significant in
teamwork, 2) experimental atmosphere, which connects with creative workers’ enthu­
siasm and emotions, and 3) supportive practices, which especially strengthen the motiva­
tion of creative talent. Based on our empirical study, these aspects emerged as necessary
prerequisites for managing and supporting creativity as a critical resource in media
organisations. These three aspects are joined together in the concept of culture of
collaboration.
As our model of critical creativity illustrates, all three aspects are crucial for developing
and supporting creativity as a significant resource in practical media work. The model
offers media managers concepts and viewpoints for assessing which elements of media
work would merit special attention in relation to critical creativity as a strategic resource.
It also allows managers of media organisations to identify the elements of the culture of
collaboration, making it possible to target developmental activities accordingly. We
consider this especially significant for tackling the intangible challenge of analysing and
developing collaborative organisational culture as an important prerequisite for critical
creativity in media organisations.
While creative practitioners do not necessarily need to be familiar with the concepts
and theories of creativity in order to work creatively, this kind of knowledge and under­
standing is critical when an organisation aims to develop its creative capabilities and
practices in general. In order to develop and manage creative organisations, the phenom­
ena related to creativity should be defined, conceptualised and shared. Accordingly, the
development of theories and models about creativity in the media industry can be
considered important for the development of the professional community and media
management as well as for the media industry in general.
As the media industry and the business environment of media companies are chan­
ging rapidly, creativity appears to be critical for various types of media organisations. It is
not characteristic only of agile start-ups, but many traditional media companies are also
committed to developing creatively and innovatively (Küng, 2011, 2015). The ability of
media firms to grow is based on their abilities to renew themselves, to innovate new
products and services, and to develop new ways of working. Collaborative creativity is an
essential resource in all these processes. Thus, in order to move forward and succeed in
the future, it is critical for media firms to invest in developing the management of
organisational creativity. This requires that the management of creative media organisa­
tions enable collaborative efforts in questioning previous assumptions, principles and
business models, as well as develop new ideas and surprising solutions.
Creative projects (see Obstfeld, 2012) are particularly important in the media business
because of the constant need for firms and teams to renew themselves and to develop and
innovate. In the context of media organisations, therefore, creativity should not be
understood narrowly in terms of the ability of individuals to produce new contents, for
example, but it should be comprehended as an integral part of all media work (Deuze,
2007). Thus, creativity can also be considered critical in developing, marketing, com­
mercialising and branding new products, concepts and innovations (Malmelin & Nivari-
210 N. MALMELIN AND S. VIRTA

Lindström, 2017). Consequently, it is necessary to acknowledge the importance of

creativity as a core strategic resource of media work and organisations.
This study offers directions for future research on creativity in media organisations. One
interesting path would be to analyse the characteristics of critical creativity as a resource in
different sectors of media work, e.g., audiovisual media and digital media, and to compare the
findings with our results from the magazine industry. Also, a deeper exploration of the role of
managing emotions, inspiration and motivation as central features of the experimental
atmosphere in organisations could have significant implications. Seen from the viewpoint
of research on workplace communities in the media industry, particular focus should be
given to the management of creative resources, i.e. creative professionals, practices and
processes. Creative work relies more and more on collaborative efforts within an organisa­
tion, which is why understanding leadership and issues related to organisational culture
appear to be critical for the success of creative endeavours in the media industry.
Creative work appears to be partly based on individuals’ tacit and experiential knowledge,
but it is also steered by organisational cultures and professional principles. These kinds of
factors are often invisible and difficult to express and share. The systematic development of
creativity and its management in the media industry requires that these factors are analysed,
conceptualised and explained in detail. Research can play a pivotal role in analysing and
modelling team and organisational creativity, in developing a more solid knowledge base in
this field, and in creating tools that are needed to develop media companies and the media
industry as a whole.
Further research on media work and media organisations may also have a wider
impact on the theories and practices of creative organisations (Banks et al., 2002;
Warhurst, 2010). For example, an understanding of the practices and processes of
creative teams in media organisations may be valuable for other kinds of industries
and work communities (see Deuze, 2007; Küng, 2008a), thus meriting future research
interest. We suggest that it would be meaningful to analyse practices of creativity in
organisations in which they are advanced and mature, and where creativity is of core
importance for the ability of the organisation to prosper. Media organisations can be
considered prime examples of these kinds of organisations.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding
The research was funded by the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation.

Notes on contributors
Nando Malmelin is a Professor of Practice at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland.
Sari Virta (PhD) is a Lecturer at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland,
and an affiliated researcher at Jönköping University, Jönköping International Business School
(Media, Management and Transformation Center), Sweden.
 JOURNAL OF MEDIA BUSINESS STUDIES 211

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3997517

Appendix 1.

First-order concepts Second-order themes Aggregate dimensions

- Shared co-ideaon
- Co-ownership of ideas Collaborave approach
- Interacve teamwork

- Team composion
Cooperaon-supporng
- Posive atude Co-operaon willingness
environment
- Radical freedom

- Respecng colleagues' work

Cooperave atude
- Interacon will and skills

- Movaon for development

Enthusiasm and engagement
- Special personal interest
in product creaon
- Success in product development

- Self-esteem and self-confidence Experimentaon-supporng

- Professional skills Experimental atmosphere
personal a!ributes

- Ability to take risks

Experimental abilies
- Ability to seize the moment

- Support from leaders and management

Complimentary feedback
- Encouragement

- Time as a resource Sufficient resources and

Supporve pracces
- Networks (e.g. freelancers) resource ulizaon

- Overall planning
- Product as a whole (e.g. text and visual) Processes of producon
- Work environment and circumstances