Transforming a museum into an asset for value creation to corporation: the hybridization process

This paper explores the transformation of a museum into an asset for creation of value to corporation, in terms of hybridization process. Corporate museums have been firstly studied as a collateral entity for preservation, then as communication lever and finally as a strategic asset for value creation. This last connotation suggests a hybridization between museum and corporation’s realm and, consequently, artification of corporation. The paper leverages on a longitudinal single case study with participant observation, using data from the museum of an Italian governmental agency, to investigate how a museum potentially become an asset for corporation. The findings contribute to understanding of corporate museum as asset for value creation, revealing the circumstances, process and output of the transformation of museum into an asset for creation of value to corporation. In so doing, the paper contributes to the growing debate on art and business relationship.