Innovations in Managing Traditional Organizations: German Classic Professional Orchestras, Specific Nature and Innovative Aspects

Abstract The armed forces, the state and the church are multiple-stakeholders organizations, designed according to very specific characteristics that describe their mission and their objectives. Alongside with them, the classic professional orchestra is one of one the oldest and traditional organizations, with distinguished features that describe its organizational culture, its mission and goals, namely: to present the classical music at the highest level of performance, to meet the public’s expectations, to represent their communities as cultural ambassadors and to protect the cultural patrimony. Innovations represent a response to new challenges of today’s society, such as multi culturality, digitalization, the new physical and social setting in which people live. German orchestras dominate by number and by high musical performance level the world’s orchestra market. Contrary to the strictness of the musical service provided by the classical professional orchestra’s “sound organism”, is there room for innovations? According to Forbes magazine, “innovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organization”. Are there any management innovations, and if there are, what is their impact upon the stakeholders’ satisfaction? This article is part of a complex research upon specific and innovative aspects in managing a classic professional orchestra for maximizing the satisfaction of multiple stakeholders.