Creative tension? Negotiating the space between the arts and management

This article offers a critical review of cross-boundary ties and tensions between the arts and management. It considers various reactions to managerialism in this context, providing a cautionary insight into managerial art and calling attention to the dual role compromises that can arise for artists who engage with business management. It also highlights the common ground between critical art and critical management studies, arguing that complementary concerns and activities within these traditions present opportunities for collaborative engagement to reach beyond managerial orthodoxy and anticipate more progressive, empowering and accountable forms of management. This discussion sets the scene for subsequent contributions to this special edition.