Chapter 6: Entrepreneurial Performance and Competition within the Creative and Cultural Industries: Challenges for Cultural Entrepreneurs in a Developing Country

This chapter investigates performance management and competition within the creative and cultural industries (CCI) in a developing country like Zimbabwe. The chapter is a critically reflective piece that aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the complexities of performance management and competition in CCI. Lived experiences reveal distinct differences in performance criteria between creatives from developed and developing countries. Zimbabwean creatives’ perception of performance, its management and competition are influenced by economic pressures such as high unemployment, low demand for creative products, and oversupply due to high concentration of creative producers in the market. As a result, the application of performance criteria is dynamic and dependent on external pressures beyond the sector. The chapter makes recommendations for future studies in this area.