[Commlist] New publication: "Organisational Culture of Public Service Media: People, Values and Processes"

*“ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE OF PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA: PEOPLE, VALUES AND 
PROCESSES"*
PROJECT REPORT BY MICHAL GLOWACKI AND LIZZIE JACKSON
ONLINE PUBLICATION: www.creativemediaclusters.com/findings 
<http://www.creativemediaclusters.com/findings>


 From 2015–2019 Dr Michał Głowacki and Professor Lizzie Jackson have 
been investigating the internal organisational cultures of ten 
successful high technology clusters in North America and Europe. The 
project aimed to identify the strategies and organisational culture of 
firms operating within such clusters to inform the evolution of public 
service media worldwide. The researchers also included the nearest 
public service media outlet to each cluster in the investigation. 
“Organisational Culture of Public Service Media: People, Values and 
Processes” examined four high technology clusters in North America: 
Austin (Texas), Boston/Cambridge (Massachusetts), Detroit (Michigan) and 
Toronto (Canada), and six in Europe; London (UK), Warsaw (Poland), 
Copenhagen (Denmark), Brussels (Belgium), Tallinn (Estonia), and Vienna 
(Austria). The project was funded by the National Science Centre of 
Poland (Narodowe Centrum Nauki,
NCN). It was also supported by
 the 
University of Warsaw (Poland) 
and London South Bank University (UK).

The question was to identify what people, values and processes should 
Public Service Media (PSM) develop in order to complete with commercial 
media firms within a highly volatile media market. It was clear there is 
an urgent need for the holistic adaptation of the organisational culture 
of Public Service Media. Without adaptation there is likely to be a 
decline in the ability of PSM to survive within this fast-evolving 
contemporary media and communications production and distribution landscape.

150 semi-structured interviews, 500+ photographs of observational 
neighbourhood and office ‘walkabouts’ were augmented with grey 
literature (such as City Hall strategies and news reports). To introduce 
the findings presented here in a report tailored for industry: six 
highly linked and inter-woven organisational-cultural characteristics 
were evident in High Technology clusters. These contrast, sometimes 
significantly, with the organisational culture of Public Service Media:

1) High Technology clusters are aggregations of large, medium and small 
firms with associated university departments in proximity. Small firms 
are often aggregated in co-working spaces that may also offer 
acceleration and incubation facilities. All firms and facilities promote 
intense knowledge-sharing in contrast to PSM firms that are largely 
internally-focused.

2) There was a lack of entrepreneurialism in PSM in comparison to the 
successful high technology firms. Finding ways of partnering with small 
to medium-sized businesses situated within co-working spaces could 
assist the growth of an entrepreneurial culture within PSM.

3) The formal structure of a Corporation as found in most PSM is counter 
to the agile working necessary for services delivered via data-driven 
platforms.

4) The more successful co-working spaces are beginning to use a social 
science approach to the workplace. Each area on each floor has been 
specifically designed to support different kinds of activity whether it 
be a café or bar (networking), reconfigurable desk and project spaces 
(agile teams), communication booths, roof gardens and ‘chill-out’ spaces 
(for relaxation), and bicycle parks (for wellbeing).

5) One of the most significant new roles, found universally within the 
co-working spaces of high technology clusters is the Community Manager. 
They run networking evenings, working breakfasts and lunches, and 
schedule training in order to create a fundamentally pro-social work 
culture. The reason for this is the criticality of supporting the trust 
relationships necessary for small project working where different 
creative and technologists work quickly to develop and test minimum 
viable product or services. Project work also blends face to face and 
online remote working, which requires deeper, cross-cultural, understanding.

6) Successful high technology clusters are likely to have access to 
cheap transport, fast internet, and characterful industrial-age 
warehouse buildings. Developed relationships with in-proximity 
university research departments amplifies the knowledge-exchange 
necessary to adapt to continually changing market conditions. Pro-active 
stimulation by City Hall, for example, through the creation of Creative 
Corridors, Creative Districts, and Media Cities where PSM could 
flourish, if the organisational-cultural aspects can be adapted, could 
also assist PSM growth.

The Project Report is available for free download in the Findings 
section of the project website: www.creativemediaclusters.com/findings 
<http://www.creativemediaclusters.com/findings>. The website also offers 
insights on project methodology, and ongoing and future research 
initiatives and publications.










---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------