A State of the Nations Research Report
This report presents the evidence that training for managers in the creative industries is 11% lower than across the wider UK economy. The findings suggest there is significant room for improvement in management practices in the creative industries, and shows that greater investment in management training is essential to bolster the creative industries.
The report is written by Lesley Giles and Heather Carey (Work Advance) and is part of Creative PEC’s State of the Nations research series.
Key findings:
- Overall management practices in the creative industries exceed those of the wider economy in 2023, the average management score for creative firms – with 10+ employees – was 0.60 compared to 0.55 across all industries.) *
- There is considerable variation in the take-up of different management practices, with the research suggesting scope to strengthen formal management practices, such as the use of KPIs, mechanisms for employee consultation and adoption of accredited management standards.
- There has been sustained underinvestment for nearly a decade and managers in the creative industries are amongst the least likely staff to receive training compared to other occupations.
- Training for managers in the creative industries firms is significantly lower than the wider UK economy average (33% vs 44%).
- SMEs in the creative industries with stronger management practices perform better across the board of business indicators.
- Creative firms with the weakest management scores are the least likely to be taking action to improve the running of their business. Few seek external expert advice in driving improvements, either from training consultants or by engaging with government-funded training programmes.
* Data from the ONS Management Expectations Survey (MES) 2023. Scores derived from 18 structured management practices across four dimensions: continuous improvement; employment practices; and the use of KPIs and targets. Management practices are scored between zero and one, depending on the extent to which the practice is embedded in the firm. An average is then generated to create an overall score for management practices. Higher scores imply that a firm has adopted a stronger set of structured management practices.
What are State of the Nations reports?
Creative PEC’s State of the Nations research series analyses the latest data across four thematic areas to inform the development of policies relating to the creative industries. Its scope is the whole of the United Kingdom, and wherever possible data is presented for all the nations and regions. Regular reports on each area will be published biannually over the five years of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding. The themes and corresponding Research Consortium Partners are:
- R&D, Innovation and Clusters (University of Sussex)
- Internationalisation (Newcastle University)
- Arts, Culture and Heritage (University of Sheffield)
- Education, Skills and Talents (Work Advance)
This report is written by our consortium partners at Work Advance,
- Lesley Giles, Work Advance
- Heather Carey, Work Advance
Citation: If the information in this report is used in any subsequent research and/or publications, please cite as follows:
Giles, L. and Carey, H. (2026) Management practices in the creative industries. Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. doi:10.5281/zenodo.19677115
Credits
Report design by Mike Green/Green Doe Ltd.
