Three arguments against ‘soft innovation’: towards a richer understanding of cultural innovation

Abstract

This paper critiques recent research on innovation in the cultural and creative industries. In particular, this paper examines Paul Stoneman’s idea of ‘soft innovation’ as a jumping off point for discussing theories of cultural innovation more broadly. Three critiques are advanced. Firstly, soft innovation is a theoretical perspective that has developed from neoclassical economics, and is therefore vulnerable to criticisms levelled at neoclassical explanations of economic behaviour. Secondly, the theory of soft innovation can be criticised for being contingently inaccurate: the observed reality of cultural industries and marketplaces may not reflect the theory’s premises. Thirdly, because soft innovation defines the significance of an innovation in terms of marketplace success, it implies that only high-selling cultural products are significant, a difficult claim to substantiate. This paper concludes by arguing that our understanding of innovation in the cultural sphere can benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach grounded in the full gamut of human creativity.

Keywords:

• soft innovation
• cultural innovation
• innovation policy
• cultural industries
• creative industries
• cultural economics

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the feedback of the article’s anonymous reviewers, as well as James Arvanitakis, Alex Burns, Bob Hodge, Luke Jaaniste, Danielle Kirby and Elaine Lally, who read early drafts.