Performance Indicators and Public Organizations: An Analysis of Symphony Orchestras

The performing arts and their financing have been analyzed by cultural economics. Many papers have focused on importance of state intervention both as a financing agent, as a provider and producer of cultural services. Otherwise, several studies have appeared focusing on management of the performing arts in Management Accounting framework. This paper shows relevance of performance indicators for evaluating cultural policies and focuses on symphony orchestras financed with public funds. The objective is verifying strategy compliance and measure the efficient and effective use of the public resources and evaluate the social and cultural profitability too. This paper also proposes a change in the symphonic orchestras current strategy for increasing social and cultural profitability.