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The Masters in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership (the MICL) is an innovative, radically interdisciplinary and highly successful programme that is offered as part of the portfolio of Management Masters courses at Cass Business School in the UK. In this paper, we argue that while the world is increasingly Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA), educational responses to this have been surprisingly limited. We note the parallel development of interest in interdisciplinary activity, particularly in relation to higher education, and then describe the MICL as an interdisciplinary management education programme developed against the background of an increasingly VUCA world. We describe the aims and structure of the MICL programme, as well as some of the methods employed to assist staff and students with adopting our interdisciplinary approach. Finally, we present some quantitative data on outcomes for students after completing the programme, as well as some qualitative data relating to the first cohort of students, that lead us to believe that the MICL programme provides a strong foundation on the basis of which students can survive and thrive in a world of increasingly dramatic change and complexity.

This paper complements a workshop at the Art of Management 2016 conference which was designed to encourage the participants to explore their own felt experience as academics and practitioners engaged in arts-based practices in university and other organisational contexts. It explores historical, cultural, strategic and pedagogical themes related to the nature of knowledge within and beyond the universities and business schools, with particular reference to Barnett’s (2011) analysis of different forms of Being a University. I conclude by positioning the current arts-in-management debate (eg Darsø, 2004; Adler, 2006, 2010, 2015; Bartunek and Carboni, 2006; Kaiser and Kaplan, 2006; Tung, 2006; Gallos, 2008; Barry, 2008; Taylor and Ladkin, 2009; Colby et al., 2011; Schiuma, 2011; Sutherland, 2013) within the context of Barnett’s analysis, finding that the arts-in-management movement aligns closely to Barnett’s definition of the feasible utopia of an ‘ecological’ university which engages with the world and aims to make a difference through the nature and depth of its research and teaching, and by accommodating the insights of staff with multiple academic identities.

This paper outlines the learning outcomes of ‘Creativity and the Creative Industries’, the final module of an interdisciplinary Masters programme for post-experience management students. Its experiential workshops, led by expert practitioners, introduce artistic practices (drama, classical music, improvisation and art) and explore the nature of embodied experience (Watkins, 2014). The assessed elements include a group performance, ashowcase of individual artefacts, a reflective journal and a summative reflective report (Bolton, 2014; Entwistle, 2009; McDrury & Alterio, 2003).

This paper explores theoretical frameworks, drawn primarily from learning theory, which might inform future research into arts-based initiatives (ABIs) in organisations and HE, and both the analysis and of outcomes.\ud The theoretical insights considered here include pedagogical and philosophical models (eg Buber 1937/2002; Heron 1992; and Gardner 2006, 2011); psychological and management frameworks in self-efficacy, social cognition, socio-constructive approaches and complexity theory (eg Bandura 1997; Hutchins 1995; Kolb and Kolb 2010; Mowles et al. 2008); and models applied to research in the creative arts, including metaphor, aesthetic distancing,\ud embodiment, and threshold concepts (eg McGilchrist 2009; Pässilä and Vince 2012; Dreyfus 1996; Meyer and Land 2005).\ud In the conference presentation, we will also review some of the more populist ideas, including emotional intelligence, presence and mindfulness (Boyatzis and McKee 2005; Senge et al. 2005; Goleman et al. 2002), which have become established in leadership and management development practice, aiming to consider whether their application to the analysis of research results may offer benefits in the dissemination and interpretation of arts-based research for practitioners.\ud The paper concludes by considering potentially appropriate research methodologies and other recommendations for future research into ABIs, and by inviting debate and feedback.\ud \ud Purpose\ud The aim of this paper is to inform future research in arts-based practises in organisational and management development by exploring potentially fruitful theoretical starting points, and relating those to applicable research methodologies.\ud \ud Design/methodology/approach\ud The approach adopted here is both interdisciplinary and research-focused. The paper considers theoretical insights from the work of philosophers, psychologists and educational theorists, and considers for each the research disciplines that might effectively be applied to future research into the processes and impacts of arts-based practices in management development and education. By doing so, the hope is to encourage the future development and implementation of ABIs by identifying both their personal and their organisational impacts.\ud \ud Originality/value\ud Evidence for the impact of ABIs is needed if the potential organisational and educational benefits of this evolving interdisciplinary field are to be realised. The\ud theoretical toolkit that could be applied is of considerable intellectual breadth. The opportunity of this paper is to present, for debate, something of this breadth, to consider how these and other theoretical insights might inform research initiatives that will benefit management practitioners as well as scholars and educators, and to present the results of a pilot study.