Opportunities and Critical Points for the Introduction of Performance Measurement Systems in Theatres. A Comparison between Theoretical Assumptions and Empirical Realities

In recent years, cultural organisations have introduced and tested new management tools to achieve their institutional goals. The “Value for Money Approach” has played a relevant role in influencing these changes for non-profit cultural organisations. This paper specifically considers one kind of management tool: performance measurement (PM) systems. Their goal is to give to the management quantitative and qualitative information that can guide strategic choices in the long-term. We will analyze the possibilities of application of a good PM system in cultural organisations, with particular focus on theatres. More precisely, the aim of this work is to verify and discuss opportunities and critical points implied by the introduction of a PM system in theatres. Our research starts with an analysis of the theoretical framework of PM systems and theatre management. The theoretical approach is supported by the reference to a specific case study analysed in this paper, the Municipal Theatre of Ferrara (Italy), and to other case studies provided by the literature in arts and cultural management.