The Art of Balancing Directions : A qualitative study on how Dramaten balances its goals

Abstract: Hybrid organizations, such as the Royal Dramatic Theater (Dramaten) in Sweden, face the challenge of balancing conflicting institutional logics and their prescribed goals. Dramaten, as the national stage for theater, is expected to uphold high artistic standards set by its sole owner, the Swedish state. At the same time, it has efficiency goals to meet as a joint-stock company. This study aimed to understand if the quantifiability of goals, derived from different logics, impacts the prioritization of goals within hybrid organizations. Through a qualitative case study of Dramaten, the findings suggest that the most influential actor, rather than the quantifiability of goals, determines the prioritization of goals within the organization. In other words, who is giving directions seems to influence the balancing act more than the nature of the different goals. Additionally, the study found that efforts to make all goals equally measurable may not necessarily affect the prioritization of goals but can help reduce internal confusion.