Why Do Museums Matter? A Case Study on the Maramures County Museums

Coman, Adela and Pop, Izabela (2012): Why Do Museums Matter? A Case Study on the Maramures County Museums. Published in: The International Conference in Economics and Administration (8 June 2012): pp. 121-133.

Abstract

The first natural question that any museum visitor should ask himself/herself should be related to the importance and the role played by museums in the economy of the 21st century. Do museums have any contribution to the market economy and to the development of society in general? Just like any other organization, the museum’s role is to create products, services and information in order to satisfy man’s needs. What is nevertheless different from private organizations is the fact that a museum’s survival in the marketplace is not dependent on the breakeven point. In Romania, unlike other European states, the activity of museums is entirely state-funded no matter if any minimal parameters are reached or not. Under these circumstances is the existence and functionality of museums still justified, or are these mere useless consumers of resources which only burden the state’s already weak budget with extra expenses? The purpose of this article is to sketch an economic perspective of museums as productive organizations. In the case study carried out in the Maramureş County museums we seek to demonstrate the economic and social benefits of museums through concrete figures, as well as to identify the possible ways of improving their performance.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: museum, economic, social, educational benefits, state budget, efficiency
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D0 - General; D - Microeconomics > D0 - General > D02 - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact

References

1. Darnell, A.C., Johnson, P.S., Thomas, R.B. 1990.” Modeling Museum Visitor Flows: A Case Study of Beamish Museum”. Tourism Management, 10, p. 251-257.

2. DCMS. 1998. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Government’s Expenditure Plans, 1998-1999. London: Stationery Office.

3. Falk, J.H., Dierking, L.D. 2008. “Re-envisioning success in the cultural sector”. Cultural Trends, 17(4), p. 233-246.

4. Falk, J., Sheppard, B. 2009. „Rethinking Membership and Admissions”, interview with John Falk and Beverly Sheppard on September 3rd, 2009, http://www.museumtwo.blogspot.com, retrieved in April 30th, 2012.

5. Feldstein, M. 1991. The Economics of Art Museums. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

6. Frey, B.S. 1998. “Superstar Museums: An Economic Analysis”, Journal of Cultural Economics, 22, p. 113-125.

7. Frey, B.S. and Pommerehne, W.W. 1989. Muses and Markets: Explorations in the Economics of the Arts. Oxford:Blackwell.

8. Heilbrun, J., Gray, C.M., 1993. The Economics of Art and Culture: An American Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

9. Holling, C.S. 1973. “Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems”. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4, p. 1-23.

10. Hudson, K. 1987. Museums of Influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

11. Hutter, M. 1998. “Communication Productivity: A Major Cause for the Changing Output of Art Museums”. Journal of Cultural Economics, 22, p. 99-112.

12. Jackson, R. 1988. “A Museum Cost Function”. Journal of Cultural Economics, 12, p. 41-50.

13. Johnson, P.S. and Thomas, R.B. 1992. Tourism, Museums and the Local Economy. Aldershot: Edward Elgar.

15. Johnson, P.S. and Thomas, R.B. 1998. “The Economics of Museums: A Research Perspective”. Journal of Cultural Economics, 22, p. 75-88.

16. Kisilewicz, D. 2011. “Patrimoniul cultural - de la mărturie materială a istoriei la calitatea de resursă”, Annals of Spiru Haret University 1(2011): 181, 177, retrieved in April, 21st , 2012, http://anale-arhitectura.spiruharet.ro/PDF/anale_fratilesti.pdf

17. Opriş, I. 2008. “Management muzeal, Târgovişte: Cetatea de Scaun,, retrieved in April, 20th, 2012, http://www.scribd.com/doc/53725283/MANAGEMENTUL-MUZEAL.

18. Pârvu, I. 2007. Manager de proiect, Ghidul profesionistului. Bucureşti: Centrul de Pregătire Profesională în Cultură, p. 486.

19. Scott, C. 2007. “Measuring Social Value,” in Museum Management and Marketing, Sandell, R. and Janes R.R. (eds), London: Routledge.

20. Tilman, D., Lehman, C.L., Bristow, C.E. 1998. “Diversity-Stability Relationships: Statistical Inevitability or Ecological Consequence?” The American Naturalist, 151, p. 277-282.

21. Weil, R. 2002. Making Museums Matter. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

22. Agenţia Executivă de Educaţie, Audiovizual şi Cultură. 2009. Educaţia artistică şi culturală în şcoala europeană, translated by Adina Florentina Pescaru, retrieved in April, 21st, 2012. http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/113RO.pdf

23. Buletin Informativ Hermes Contact nr. 257, Camera de Comerţ şi Industrie Maramureş, accesat în 19 aprilie 2012, http://www.ccimm.ro/ziare/HC-257.pdf.

24. Convenţia-cadru a Consiliului Europei privind valoarea patrimoniului cultural pentru societate (Faro, October 27th, 2005).

25. Consiliul Judeţean Maramureş. 2012. Atracţii turistice – muzee, retrieved in April, 22nd, 2012, http://www.cjmaramures.ro/detaliu.aspx?eID=380&t=Obiectiveturistice&Node=54.

26. INS Tempo on-line – Serii de timp, retrieved in April 18th, 2012, https://statistici.insse.ro/shop/.