IJAM Volume 6 Number 1 (PDF)

EDITOR’S NOTE

In this, the first issue of IJAM’s sixth volume, we have assembled a series of articles that I believe are a faithful reflection of the diversity of our discipline: the themes, which range from marketing to cultural management and performance measurement, are approached from a variety of angles, including research, reflection and practical application. Moreover, the articles in this issue were contributed by authors from four countries on three continents, a cross-section that lives up to our expectations regarding the participation of researchers.

It is a well-known fact that the dynamic cultural milieu cuts across borders, particularly in a global market where national economies are increasingly interdependent, and that there are similarities in the behaviour of markets and the problems encountered by fi rms. Given this reality, we believe that an exchange of reflections on this topic is a good idea.

These problems, seen by many as critical, call for a pooling of innovative solutions that have already proven their worth and of research results capable of shedding light on the current situation. Several of the themes addressed in this issue attempt to do just that. For example, community involvement, a topic that has been addressed before in the Journal, plays a major role in the problems facing symphonic orchestras in North America. According to some authors, these organizations have cut themselves off from their public in their pursuit of international recognition. Indeed, a good many music lovers can no longer identify with these ensembles which, in their opinion, show more concern for the opinion of their peers than that of their public.

Networking, particularly the sharing of resources, is another subject that comes up frequently in an environment where public funds are in increasingly short supply. In such a context, the pooling of resources and ideas has, in the view of many, become an unavoidable solution. Moreover, organizations that receive government subsidies feel increasingly pressured by public opinion to account for their performance; with taxpayers demanding better management of their tax monies by government, this pressure has definite repercussions on the beneficiaries of public largesse.

François Colbert
Editor