Little less conversation, little more action: Musical intervention as aesthetic material communication

Sorsa, Virpi; Merkkiniemin, Heini; Endrissat, Nada; Islam, Gazi (2018). Little less conversation, little more action: Musical intervention as aesthetic material communication Journal of Business Research, 85, pp. 365-374. 10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.10.014

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While interest in art-based interventions is growing rapidly, little is known about the aesthetic, material, and interpersonal mechanisms by which art interventions, and musical interventions in particular, operate. We address this gap by drawing from an in-depth case study of a musical intervention in a professional ice-hockey team in Finland. At the time of the study, the organization faced a serious crisis, having lost 11 sequential games, leading its managers to search for “alternative” means for promoting social cohesion, and subsequently engaging in an arts-based musical intervention. Our findings examine how material objects and collective synchronization rhythms grounded the interpersonal interactions of team members and mediated members' attempts to transform personal subjective experiences into collective collaboration. We draw out the conceptual implications of our findings for understanding, on the one hand, the collective nature of aesthetic processes, and on the other hand, the materially mediated processes of communication. In terms of practical implication, we contribute to understanding the social dynamics and transformative organizational possibilities of artistic interventions that generate value for the organization and its members.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Business School > Institute for New Work > New Forms of Work and Organisation Business School
Name:	Sorsa, Virpi; Merkkiniemin, Heini; Endrissat, Nada0000-0002-4758-8441 and Islam, Gazi
Language:	English
Submitter:	Service Account
Date Deposited:	09 Aug 2019 14:37
Last Modified:	17 Mar 2021 21:45
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.10.014
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Arts-based intervention Musical intervention Aesthetics Embodied communication Materiality Organizational communication
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.7187
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/7187