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Adapting to austerity through commercialisation: A contextual analysis of cultural policies and change of art museums in the United Kingdom
Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy,
9
(2),
135-150
(2025)
Abstract
While previous researchers have attempted to explain the phenomenon of art museums’ commercialisation in different countries with reference to cultural policies, this study examines the causes and effects of commercialisation of art museums in the UK. Building on arts literature, we show that the cultural policies of the UK Government since the 1980s are leading to reduced public funding, which, in turn, is shifting the focus of art museums from social to market model. Although commercialisation is producing benefits, especially financial and economic outcomes, however, it draws art museums away from the social mission and diminishes aesthetic values. The study recommends that cultural policies should view the cultural sector as creating indirect economic benefits differently than traditional corporations, thus maintaining public funding with social outcomes as a priority. Art museums could create a hybrid organisational form by combining social and market model to serve conflicting demands. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: cultural policies; funding; commercialisation; art museums; aesthetic values; UK
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Nasser Alshawaaf is an Assistant Professor and a Researcher at Arab Open University, Kuwait. Alshawaaf research focuses on the role and interrelation of micro-level mechanisms in the emergence of macro-level organisational outcomes. The study is comparative by investigating the institutional change of art museums towards commercialisation and globalisation. Alshawaaf particularly interested in digital transformation and how organisations are adopting digitalisation to achieve their objectives.
Soo Hee Lee joined the Kent Business School in July 2012. He is a Professor of organisation studies. He has previously worked at Birkbeck, University of London, Cass Business School and The University of Sheffield. He also had visiting appointments at the University of Science and Technology of China, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Syungkyunkwan University, the ESSEC Business School and the TiasNimbas Business School. He is on the editorial board of the Technological Forecasting and Social Change and Global Transitions. He is also a member of the scientific committee of the International Conference of Social Theory, Politics and the Arts.
