Management processes in collectives.
Case study: mais uno +1

MA Thesis by Julia Dżbik

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the management processes implemented by the mais uno +1 collective based in Lisbon. Its aim is to explain these processes in the context of alternative organisational structures, moving away from the dominance of traditional cultural institutions. Applied by qualitative methods, including field research: participant observation related to the author's joining the collective, in-depth interviews with ten members, and analysis of the organisation's internal documents. The theoretical part presents the nature of alternative organisational structures, proving a new type of organisation – the collective, as opposed to the concept of institutionalisation. It also discusses the phenomenon of project-based cultural system and modern management currents, pointing to decentralisation, self-management, horizontal activities, and rejection of hierarchy. The findings indicate fluidity, flexibility, and openness of management processes in collectives, as well as revealing the paradox of horizontality. Unique practices include (in)formal structure, emergent decision-making, and an alternative financing model based on community economy. The study reveals that collectives are becoming spaces for experimentation, where new models of cooperation and management are being shaped.

Introduction

The subject of this thesis, Management Processes in Collectives: A Case Study of mais uno +1, concerns the explanation of the mechanisms of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling within alternative organizational structures, while simultaneously analyzing the organization mais uno +1 — a curatorial, design, and research collective based in Lisbon. The scope of the case study spans from the collective's founding through a detailed description of the establishment of its structures, resource allocation, coordination of activities and their character, as well as the challenges related to the collective's management processes.

Situating the research context within changing socio-economic conditions, a turn toward the development of sustainable models of collaboration has been observed — models grounded in networked relations, participatory approaches, and the equality of the parties involved. In contrast to the traditionally established structures of the cultural sector, with their precarious conditions and capitalist disparities, alternative models of collaboration offer horizontal action, self-management, and the rejection of hierarchy, thereby enriching organizations with the accountability and engagement of their members. In transforming structures through dynamic leadership, the collective as an alternative organizational form is emerging as a new type of organization, gaining research attention in its own right.

Through the lens of management science, the research aim is to explain how management processes function within collectives as alternative organizational structures, as well as to interrogate the possibility of realizing such processes within structures that explicitly declare the absence of hierarchy and a commitment to horizontality. Furthermore, in order to address the research topic in greater detail, the following specific research questions have been formulated: what management practices and mechanisms have developed within the mais uno +1 collective; how are decisions made; what roles and responsibilities exist; and what challenges and tensions accompany management processes in the context of the collective's declared horizontality and sense of community?

The desire to offer a perspective distinct from the prevailing approaches in the field of management science served as the inspiration for the author, and may in turn contribute to expanding the limits of existing research by highlighting the innovative potential of implementing alternative management approaches — along with their practical observations, challenges, and difficulties. It is important to draw attention to the attempt to describe management mechanisms, as they are burdened with a paradox that eludes established classifications and definitions. The paradox of management processes in collectives concerns the absence of a perceived gap between the management functions as understood through an organization's theoretical framework and its actual practice. The aforementioned limits point to a restricted state of research on the subject of management processes in collectives — one that may even be regarded as a research gap within management science. Moreover, no such in-depth analysis of the mais uno +1 collective has previously existed, which may contribute to the practical implementation of change, to organizational recommendations, and to an understanding of the state of the processes taking place within it.

The range of informational sources extends from searches in the Digital Library of Central and Eastern Europe, the JSTOR database, and the Jubilee platform, through the Polish Language Dictionary of PWN, an etymological dictionary, and the documenta fifteen festival glossary, to the industry conference Singapore Art Week: The Rise of Artist Collective. Among the publications directly related to the topic, the only comprehensive work is the collective volume Theatre, Artistic, and Research Collectives, edited by Ewa Guderian-Czaplińska and Stanisław Godlewski, which forms the theoretical foundation of this thesis. In the methodological domain, an undeniably significant role is played by the handbook Epistemology, Methodology, and Research Methods in Management and Quality Sciences, edited by Łukasz Sułkowski and Regina Lenart-Gansiniec. The innovation of this thesis lies in adopting a new research perspective within management science as applied to a new type of organization — a collective that carries out management processes which elude established definitions and classifications. Additionally, the study demonstrates a practical application of research findings for the selected collective, mais uno +1, which may serve as an inspiration for the creation of alternative models of collaboration in the cultural sector.

The study is practical in character, employing the method of participant observation in the form of the author's joining the collective over a period of three months, from July to September 2024. Within this timeframe, intensive interviews were conducted with ten members of the collective, along with a content analysis of internal documents held by the organization, which together constitute the primary empirical basis of the research. The theoretical context of the study is rooted in the multi-paradigmatic nature of management science, and draws upon the foundations of the interpretive-symbolic perspective alongside the postmodern paradigm of radical humanism within the critical tradition.

For the purposes of this thesis, a structure of four chapters has been adopted, along with an introduction and conclusion, proceeding from theoretical considerations through the methodological foundation to an analysis of the processes carried out by the organization under study.

In the first chapter, drawing on the voices of Andrzej Markowski, Joris Janssens, Magdalena Zamorska, Monika Kwaśniewska, Jean-Luc Nancy, Maria Lind, Michał Krawczyk, and Agata Siwiak, a collective definition of the collective is advanced — understood as a creative group characterized by values of collaboration, trust, openness, horizontality, and the absence of hierarchy. The growing popularity of this structure is noted in relation to its dynamic adaptation to contemporary societal challenges, tendencies toward the flattening of structures and decentralization; it is even identified as a new type of organization belonging to alternative organizational structures, in accordance with the perspective of researchers Jerzy Kociatkiewicz and Monika Kostera. The collective should not be conflated with the notion of structurelessness — though its structure may be ambiguous and fluid, as Jo Freeman demonstrates — with success contingent upon equal access to resources, shared responsibility and autonomy, and the rotation of tasks. The tensions accompanying both the formation and daily functioning of this structure include the phenomenon of institutionalization, from the theory initiated by Philip Selznick, through the concepts of Sara Ahmed, to proposals for transforming the dominant organizational order.

Subsequently, attention is drawn to the phenomenon of projectification within the cultural sector, with reference to the cultural project as a phenomenon as described by Monika Ćwikła, and its transformation into the condition of the "projectariat" as analyzed by Kuba Szreder. The perspectives of cultural managers, curators, artists, and researchers are employed to present effective implementations of participatory, self-managing, and horizontal management models, pointing to a visible organizational trend. Among the examples discussed are the Governance of the Possible program of RESHAPE, the publication Taking Part: A Guide to Participatory Tools and Techniques by Gaupp, the lumbung structure of the ruangrupa collective, as well as a characterization and comparison of collective decision-making mechanisms, such as Butler's Formal Consensus model and sociocracy, together with the structure of semi-autonomous circles.

The methodological foundation is subsequently established through alternative paradigms in management science; the appropriateness of the methods employed is presented following Mary Jo Hatch; and the decision to classify the interviews as "intensive" rather than "in-depth" is justified with reference to Barbara Czarniawska. Furthermore, the research questions, the characteristics of the respondents, and the research process as experienced "from the inside" are presented.

Finally, the mais uno +1 collective is analyzed with respect to its realized management processes, on the basis of the gathered research methods, demonstrating both their value and evidence of their existence.

Please note that thesis is written in Polish and could be accessed by request through juliakatarzynadzbik@gmail.com