Nonprofit Professional Theatre Executive Leadership: Seeing 2020 and Beyond
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Authors
Cantrell, Amanda
Issue Date
2021-04
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Leadership , Dissertations, Academic--United States , Executives , Nonprofit organizations--Management , Theater management , Theater
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study approaches examining nonprofit professional executive leadership through a qualitative study, based in the content analysis of secondary data from the leadership biographies of 30 different nonprofit theatres across the nation. Organizations of various sizes and budgets were included to provide a comprehensive examination of executive leadership, with attention paid to education and experience in the nonprofit and theatre realms. This research will add foundational data to aid to professionalize the field of arts managers/executives by providing information for the standardization of qualifications. It examined these qualifications through the lens of visionary leadership theory and upper echelons theory. The principle of multiplicity and unity was used to provide a theoretical basis for understanding how the field of theatre operates. The findings of the study include a graduate-level degree as the most common educational level, with a Master of Fine Arts specifically being the most common among artistic directors. It also found the experience realms of nonprofit and theatre were not separate, but rather, that most leaders gained their experience within a nonprofit theatre, equating the two realms in years of experience. An average of 20 years of experience was found in relationship to both the artistic and executive/managing director. Additional observations regarding word choice and important, ancillary information included within many of the biographies are discussed. Overall, the application of the visionary leadership theory and the upper echelons theory to the field of nonprofit theatre leadership was confirmed by the data from the study. The research ends with a discussion of potential expansion of research in the field as well as real-world applications of the findings.
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.