A Study of Motivation and the Satisficing Approaches Used by Professional Craft Artists
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A study of motivation and the satisficing approaches used by Professional Craft Artists Sophie Bennett PhD Thesis Aberystwyth University 2015 Vol 1 1 Abstract This research investigates the way in which Professional Craft Artists (Pro-C Artists) operating in the rural sub-regions of Wales achieve a balance between co-existing, paradoxical motives. Previous studies have identified the existence of both intrinsic and extrinsic motives within the visual arts (Hirschman, 1983; RIPPLE, 1998; Fillis & McAuley, 2005) in, for example, the need to both earn an income and gain self-fulfilment from creative work. Such circumstances are investigated in this study, where the settlement of a satisfactory outcome both in terms of the level of satisfaction and income received can be seen in the production of visual art and craft. Intrinsic and extrinsic motives are considered, alongside external socio-environmental factors including location, materials and networks, in order to investigate paradoxical motives in creative work. Quantitative questionnaires have been used to identify Pro-C Artists operating within Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Powys and select seventeen participants who took part in the research. Qualitative interviews are used to identify motives and satisficing approaches used in the visual arts sector. The findings from this research highlight the three main satisficing approaches that are used to manage conflicting tensions. These are presented in the concluding section to explain the significance of managing such tensions within the workplace, and also in relation to current rural strategies and creative support organisations, to consider how investment in the visual arts sector may contribute to rural localities. 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisors Professor Steve McGuire and Dr Rachel Rahman for their support and guidance throughout this research. I would also like to thank Mrs Nerys Fuller Love for her support and guidance and Mrs Gweneira Raw-Rees who read through the final version of this thesis to check for minor grammatical errors. This research has been funded by the Knowledge Economy Scholarship Scheme which is part funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government. Without such funding this research would not have taken place. 3 Position statement This research has been undertaken as part of a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) collaborative research project between Musicfest Aberystwyth Ltd, a music event company based in Aberystwyth, Mid Wales, and the School of Management and Business, Aberystwyth University. Part funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government. AU20004 (Aberystwyth University), RSA00360 (Research agreement), STA00057 (Student agreement) 4 Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 3 Position statement ................................................................................................................................... 4 List of tables .......................................................................................................................................... 12 List of figures ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Definitions for terms used in this research ............................................................................................ 16 Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 17 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 17 1.2 The motivation for this study ...................................................................................................... 17 1.3 Pro-C Artists (Professional Craft Artists) ................................................................................... 19 1.3.1 Origin of the Pro-C term ...................................................................................................... 20 1.3.2 Pro-C Artist pursuing a lifestyle strategy ............................................................................. 20 1.3.3 The Pro-C Artist as a Professional Craft Artist .................................................................... 22 1.4 Satisficing in the context of this study ........................................................................................ 23 1.5 The geographical context ............................................................................................................ 24 1.6 Research question ....................................................................................................................... 26 1.7 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 26 1.7.1 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation ........................................................................................ 27 1.7.2 Self-determination theory .................................................................................................... 28 1.7.3 The theory of flow ................................................................................................................ 28 1.7.4 Analysis of data .................................................................................................................... 29 1.8 Thesis structure ........................................................................................................................... 30 1.9 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 33 Chapter 2: Visual art enterprises within the rural sub-regions of Wales .............................................. 34 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 34 2.2 The rural economy of Wales ....................................................................................................... 34 2.3 The visual arts sector in rural Wales ........................................................................................... 38 2.3.1 Artistic occupations in rural Wales ...................................................................................... 38 2.3.2 Education levels in rural Wales ........................................................................................... 40 2.3.3 Employment and self-employment in rural Wales ............................................................... 41 2.3.4 The attraction of rural areas for artists ................................................................................. 48 2.4 Rural policy, networks and support for the visual arts sector in rural Wales. ............................ 51 5 2.4.1 Creative clusters and networks ............................................................................................ 53 2.4.2 Current support for rural visual arts enterprises ................................................................... 54 2.5 The visual arts sector in other rural regions within the UK: Cornwall, Devon and Cumbria ..... 56 2.5.1 The rural economy of Devon, Cornwall and Cumbria ......................................................... 57 2.5.2 Artistic occupations in Cornwall, Devon and Cumbria ....................................................... 58 2.5.3 Rural policy, networks and support for the visual arts sector in Cornwall, Devon and Cumbria......................................................................................................................................... 59 2.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 61 Chapter 3: Motivation and satisficing ................................................................................................... 63 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 63 3.2 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational theory ................................................................................. 63 3.2.1 Intrinsic motivation in visual art .......................................................................................... 64 3.2.2 Extrinsic motivation in visual art ......................................................................................... 70 3.2.3 The co-existence of intrinsic and extrinsic motives ............................................................. 72 3.2.4 Self-determination theory .................................................................................................... 73 3.3 Motivation and tensions within the workplace ........................................................................... 76 3.3.1 Creativity and constraint within the workplace ................................................................... 77 3.3.2 Paradox within the workplace .............................................................................................