Cross‐sector collaboration combining public (non‐commercial) and private (commercial) organisational orientations is considered an advantageous and dynamic strategic approach to shared value creation and co‐creative innovation in disruptive operational environments of media industries. However, cross‐sector collaboration features inherent complexities and organisational tensions due to the fundamental differences between the actors’ strategies and operational models. This article explores organisational tensions and dualities in media work in the cross‐sector collaboration of media clusters. The qualitative case study examines the development of the management approach and practical operations of the Finnish media cluster Mediapolis, which aims to produce value, especially through collaborative content and concept innovation. The case study builds on extensive empirical material collected since the Mediapolis project started in 2011 until 2018. The analysis focuses on the management of complexities and organisational tensions in implementing collaborative strategies at Mediapolis, as well as managing the shared operations and work of the cluster. The results reveal tensions between the core dualities in developing Mediapolis as a collaborative arrangement between the participating organisations in practice, despite shared strategic‐level aspirations. The findings elaborate on the dynamics of different organisational orientations and business logics, discrepancies between visionary planning and practical actions, and opposing organisational interests and strategies as sources for organisational tensions in collaborative contexts. The article contributes to both the theoretical and practical knowledge on organisational tensions and their management in cross‐sector collaboration in media cluster development and provides implications for managing respective complexities in media work.

This article examines how change as a media management phenomenon is approached and understood in the research fields of media management, media business and media economics. By means of a systematic literature review and problematising methodology, the article unpacks the ways in which change as a phenomenon is comprehended in the extant research and elaborates on the implications of various schools of thought on the development of the research area. The findings of the study illustrate how different paradigmatic, contextual and pragmatic ways of understanding change are reflecting the current thinking and discussion about transformation in the media industry. As a contribution, the article adds to media management research by reviewing, identifying and critically reflecting on the dominant views of change in the area.

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

This chapter discusses the development of a media cluster called Mediapolis in Tampere, Finland, during its initial years. Mediapolis is a brownstone, real estate creative cluster project that combines public and private organisations in cross-sector collaboration. Mediapolis is situated in the premises formerly owned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Yle. Mediapolis aims to create value through collaborative media innovation and new content creation. The development of Mediapolis is strongly supported by Tampere City and regional authorities. The qualitative case study reflects on opportunities and challenges of clusters as tools for collaboration. The case study illustrates complications in developing media clusters based on collaborative value between the participating organisations rather than on spatial arrangements (as the traditional understanding of clusters). The case study revealed organisational tensions that emerge through dualities between (1) private and public organisational orientations, (2) ideal planning and practical actions and (3) individual organisations’ self-interest and collective interest for collaboration. The case study results show the importance for urban planners, local policymakers and creative cluster managers of anticipating, identifying and managing various organisational tensions in media cluster development.

This article discusses the phenomenon of serendipity in media work and in media organizations. Based on an empirical analysis of diary material, we identify and elaborate three types of serendipitous processes in creative work, that is, serendipitous, semi-serendipitous and antiserendipitous processes. In addition, we discuss the role of lucky incidents and human capabilities in serendipity, and consider their value to creative processes in media organizations. We argue that conceptual frameworks and theories of serendipity are useful in identifying, evaluating and harnessing unpredicted and accidental creative incidents and processes. The article shows that serendipity offers valuable conceptualizations and insights for scholars and practitioners alike in the context of the rapidly changing media industry and media work.

This dissertation explores organisational tensions and their management in creative content development work in the context of creative industries, particularly media. The study focuses on the dynamic relationship and complexities between current business (exploitation) and future business (exploration), where tensions become managerial issues. It builds on dualities as the overarching analytical concept. The combination of theorisations on ambidexterity, value networks and hybrid organisations is used to examine organisational tensions as dynamic interrelationships between the elements of dualities.

This compilation dissertation builds on three qualitative case studies, which are investigated in six individual, empirical papers. The case organisations include a company from both public and private media, as well as a collaborative arrangement in a creative industry cluster. The longitudinal empirical data comprises diary writings, interviews, documentation and participant observations.

The study extends the understanding about how and why organisational tensions pose a demanding managerial challenge to established companies. It suggests that these tensions cannot be solved as such; instead, they need to be managed “with” rather than “against”. The study contributes to previous literature by combining theoretical perspectives to create links between existing approaches on ambidexterity. Regarding clusters, the study offers new knowledge by shifting the focus from mere spatial co-location to shared value creation through collaborative relationships.

As implications for practice, the study suggests that managerial effort is required to anticipate, identify, evaluate, and navigate tensions in creative work. The results emphasise the key importance of embracing interrelated, coexisting, enduring, and complex tensions as a multifaceted package.

Denna avhandling undersöker organisatoriska spänningar och hur företagsledningar hanterar dessa i arbetet med att utveckla det kreativa innehållet inom kreativa branscher, särskilt media. Studien fokuserar på den affärsdynamiska relationen och komplexiteten mellan existerande (exploitation) och framtida affärsexploatering (exploration), där spänningar mellan dessa blir frågor för ledningen. Avhandlingen bygger på dualitetersom det övergripande analytiska konceptet. Kombinationen av teoretiseringar av ambidextri, värdenätverk och hybrida organisationer används för att undersöka organisatoriska spänningar som dynamiska inbördes förhållanden mellan dualitetens element.

Denna sammanläggningsavhandling bygger på tre kvalitativa fallstudier som resulterat i sex separata artiklar. Fallorganisationerna inkluderar ett företag inom public service, ett privat mediaföretag och ett samarbetsarrangemang i ett kluster av kreativa branscher. Det longitudinella empiriska datamaterialet består av dagboksanteckningar, intervjuer, dokumentation och observationer på plats.

Studien ökar förståelsen för hur och varför organisatoriska spänningar utgör en krävande utmaning för etablerade företagsledningar. Dessa spänningar inte kan lösas som sådana; istället behöver de snarare styras ”med” än ”emot”. Studien bidrar till tidigare litteratur genom att kombinera teoretiska perspektiv för att skapa länkar mellan existerande synsätt på ambidextri. Angående kluster presenterar studien ny kunskap genom att skifta fokus från enbart samlokalisering till ett gemensamt värdeskapande genom samarbetsrelationer.

Företagsledningar behöver i praktiken förutse, identifiera, utvärdera och navigera spänningar i kreativt arbete. Resultatet betonar den stora betydelsen av att hantera ömsesidigt beroende och verka för samexistens av långvariga komplexa spänningar

This article analyses creative work in one of Europe’s largest media organizations, in which a newly formed development team was tasked with creating a new multi-platform media product. The objective of this article is to explore the dynamics of team creativity in the process of developing and managing media content innovation. To do this, this study utilizes the concept of ambidexterity for understanding multi-level tensions between the on-going media production work and innovation processes typically co-existing in media operations. The results of the analysis indicate that, due to pressures created by the routine media production, media innovations require specific focus and prioritization to succeed. This requires recognizing, balancing and managing the ambidextrous tensions between exploration and exploitation in creative media work. In addition to practical implications for management of media innovations, this study contributes to research on media innovations, particularly from the perspectives of creative work and organizational creativity.

This paper aims to inform theory and practice on the features of HRM that facilitate and hamper the transformation of creativity into innovation in the rapidly changing context of media organizations. The study takes an illustrative case approach to examine how conventional HRM and ambidextrous HRM create productive or counterproductive responses to the dual tensions that are characteristic of media content development work, i.e., exploration and exploitation. The analysis sheds light on what constitutes an ambidextrous HRM system generally, and, specifically, the features of an ambidextrous HRM in the context of creative media industries. The findings demonstrate that media content development work requires ambidextrous HRM for the successful management of innovation initiatives alongside on-going production processes, including that the lack of ambidextrous HRM may severely harm development initiatives. The results indicate that bridging conventional and ambidextrous HRM principles and practices is vital to ensure sustainable and harmonious co-existence of production and innovation in organizational contexts characterized by tensions. The longitudinal qualitative case study offers new understanding regarding managing development work and organizational creativity for innovation in a traditional media company, and the constraints, conflicts, tensions and complications they present for ambidextrous HRM development.

We argue that there is scholarly potential in linking theory on industry clusters with theory on value networks. To date, these two theoretical streams have developed largely in parallel, limiting understanding of how the two are integrated in practice. By considering these theories in combination and the unique context of creative industries, we generate insight on the management of clusters as value networks. Our ongoing longitudinal empirical case is a new media cluster called ‘Mediapolis’ in the city of Tampere, Finland. The case study commenced at the time the cluster was in the planning and early operational stage. Results demonstrate the usefulness of linking the two theories, and support a future research agenda examining the types of cluster configurations meeting the criteria of value networks, and the conditions under which value network cluster configurations are more sustainable than simply a spatial agglomeration of clusters.

This study contributes to emerging research on management of organisational tensions in the media industry. We approach the topic by utilising the concept of ambidexterity, which has hardly been applied to media organisations. The goal of this study is to provide a capability-based approach to organisational ambidexterity. Thus, we offer a new approach for analysing media management by operationalising ambidexterity with operational and dynamic capabilities.

The study analyses what kinds of tensions ambidexterity creates between managerial operational and dynamic capabilities. The empirical analysis is based on interviews with top-level managers at the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Yle, during 2013/14. The approach is qualitative. The results are presented by using our theoretical approach of combining exploration and exploitation (ambidexterity) with sensing and seizing (dynamic and operational capabilities).