Artistic quality and consensus decision-making: On reviewing panels in the performing arts

Although panel reviewing is frequently used in the allocation of public cultural funds, the internal functioning of artistic panels has received little attention in cultural and sociological studies. This article examines panel reviewing in the field of theatre. Based on in-depth interviews with panel experts, it analyses factors that are influential in terms of procedural and substantive aspects of decision-making. Our investigation deals with: (1) individual critical approaches of members and how they come into play in panel deliberations, (2) group composition and diversity, (3) group and leader influence on individual and collective decisions and (4) the meaning of consensus as a decision rule. The article sheds light on how collective judgements are formed, shared and constrained by the procedural (e.g. group diversity, decision rules), social (e.g. group pressure) and personal (e.g. individual approaches and tastes) aspects of group decision-making.