• Explain and defend a position on why and how arts- and design- based practices matter to the creation of business value.
• Describe and differentiate between the design and management of visionary-led and collectively-driven creative group processes
• Discuss key concepts and theoretical perspectives related to team leadership in creative endeavours.
• Make strategic decisions regarding the application of arts and design-based methods to innovation objectives and entrepreneurial ventures.

The work practices of artists and designers have become increasingly relevant in the current competitive business environment that favors novelty-based strategies and originality in outcomes. Arts- and design-based practices provide organizations with powerful methods for innovating products, services, systems and experiences. In this course, we investigate these work practices in order to learn how to strategically design and manage artful processes that lead to competitive advantage. We build our knowledge dynamically in class through micro-level analysis of the work of deeply expert arts and design practitioners, in order to develop intimate understanding of a set of extreme work practices and leadership strategies that generate emergent creativity while ensuring excellence in outcomes. This includes an emphasis on understanding the special conditions and capabilities that enable groups to engage in collaborative creativity. Students will explore the leadership of such processes in the parallel studio course Leading Ventures.
 
The pedagogical approach is highly interactive and discussion based, driven by cases from arts organizations and design intensive companies. By engaging in Harvard Business School-style case discussions, students will learn how to make strategic decisions regarding the application of arts and design practices to organizational innovation.  Leveraging the instructor’s experience as a professional arts practitioner, case issues will be elaborated upon with practical exercises in class. As much of our knowledge will be created in class, it is crucial that students come well prepared for discussion (having completed the reading and reflected on assignment questions) and willing to participate.

Literature (representative list, subject to change):

Austin, Robert D. and Daniela Beyersdorfer. (2006.) “Vipp A/S.” HBS No. 607-052. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Austin, Rob and Lee Devin. (2010.) “Not just a pretty face: economic drivers behind the arts-in-business movement,” Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 31, No. 4: 59-69.

Austin, Robert D. and Richard L. Nolan. “Bridging the Gap Between Stewards and Creators,” MIT Sloan Management Review, Winter 2007.

Austin, Robert D., Richard L. Nolan and Shannon O’Donnell. (2007). “The Boeing Company: Moonshine Shop.” HBS No. 607-130. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Austin, Robert D. and Shannon O’Donnell. (2007.) ”Paul Robertson and the Medici String Quartet.” HBS No. 607-083. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Austin, Robert D., Shannon O’Donnell and Dorte Krogh. (2009.) “Moods of Norway.” HBS No. 609-106. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Austin, Robert D., Shannon O’Donnell and Silje Kamille Friis. (2006.) “e-Types A/S.” HBS No. 606-118. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Austin, Robert D. and Brooke Spangler. (2000). “The People’s Light and Theatre Company.” HBS No. 600-055. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Brown, Tim. (2008). Design Thinking. Boston: Harvard Business Review.

Catmull, Ed. (2008). How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity. Harvard Business Review, September 2008. Reprint R0809D. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Publishing.

Edmondson, Amy C. and Laura R. Feldman (2013). Phase Zero: Introducing new services at IDEO (A). HBS Case 605-069. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Edmondson, Amy C. and Laura R. Feldman (2013). Phase Zero: Introducing new services at IDEO (B). HBS Case 605-069. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Edmondson, Amy C., Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha. (2011). Mistry Architects (A). Case 609-044. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Gagnon, Suzanne; Heather C. Vough; Robert Nickerson. (2012). "Learning to Lead, Unscripted: Developing Affiliative Leadership Through Improvisational Theatre." Human Resource Development Review 11 (3):299-325.

Harvey, Sarah. “Creative Synthesis: Exploring the process of extraordinary group creativity.” Academy of Management Review 2014, 39 (3): 324-343.

Hammond, John S. (2002). Learning by the Case Method. HBS Case 376-241. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Lange, Ann-Christina Petersen. (2012). Chapter 5: A Study of Cinema: Dogma, Rules and Reality. Inclusive Differentiation: A Study of Artistic Techniques and Devices of Innovation. London, UK: Goldsmiths, University of London: 103-128.

Maier, Esther R. and Oana Branzei. (2014). ‘On time and on budget’: Harnessing creativity in large scale projects. International Journal of Project Management, 32 (7): 1123-1133.

Postrel, Virginia. (2004.) Excerpt from Chapter 1. The Aesthetic Imperative. The Substance of Style: How the rise of aesthetic value is remaking commerce, culture and consciousness. New York, NY: Harper Perennial: 1-25.

Sanders, Elizabeth B.-N, and Pieter Jan Stappers. (2008).Co-creation and the New Landscapes of Design. CoDesign: Vol 4 (1), p. 5-18.

Sutton, Robert L. (2001). The Weird Rules of Creativity. Harvard Business Review, September 2001: 96-103.

Thomke, Stefan. (2001.) “BMW AG: The Digital Car Project (A). HBS No. 699-044. Boston: Havard Business School Publishing.

Verganti, Roberto. (2006). “Innovating Through Design.” Harvard Business Review, December 2006: 114-122.