Organizational culture and creativity: A comparison of scientific institutions and theaters

On the one hand, processes of opening (e.g., enhancement of individual autonomy) are needed in order to promote organizational creativity. On the other hand, these processes lead to problems with coordination that jeopardize the success of the organization. In an empirical study conducted in research institutes (n = 113) and theatres (n = 88) it is shown that processes of opening are accompanied by parallel processes of closure (by orientation, consensus, and trust). These processes reduce the negative secondary effects of opening, but in the case of the theatre cannot completely compensate for them because the need to coordinate is especially great there. In the theatre, the degree of opening itself is reduced as well in order to prevent the development of negative secondary effects.