Project Management - British Museum - Case Study Example

British Museum Contents Introduction 4 Supply of Museum Services 5 Memories of a Nation at the British Museum 5 Programme 6 Customer Feedback 7 Operations 8 Cost Structure 8 Cost Functions 9 British Museum Benefactors 10 Public Benefit 11 Sustainability Report 12 Conclusion 13 References 14 Executive Summary The British Museum is a public entity that was founded in 1753 and has been in operation since. It was intended to serve as an educational resource for the community but over time its activities have attracted a global market. Technological novelty has improved accessibility of the resources of the museum from all parts of the globe through the internet. This article details the undertaking of the museum in the month of October 2014 that involved the showcasing of Memories of a Nation which was an exhibit on the German history. The extent to which the exhibit shaped the perspective of the British citizens with regard to German history is prodigious. The article details the steps that the team under the directive of Neil MacGregor to achieve this outcome, it also describes the environment that the museum operates in and the impact that its operations have on the environment. The document analyses the feedback of the public concerning the exhibition to determine its success score. Introduction The British Museum was established in 1753 and it was purposed to hold a collection of numerous cultural collection that would serve as an educational resource for generations. The material collected, is housed, researched upon and finally exhibited to the general public. The British Museum runs under the 1963 British Museum Act and the Museums and Galleries act of 1992. The establishment operates on aid and grants that are appropriated by DCMS, the earnings are generated from fundraising, commercial and charging undertakings. Sponsors also assist in the revenue generation process; the museum is categorised as an exempt charity under subsection 3 of the 2011 Charities Act. The running body of the museum comprises of a non-executive and non-paid board. Of the 25 members of the board, 15 of them are appointees of the prime one by the Sovereign, one each by the Secretary of State on the nominations of the Royal Academy, the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Society respectively, and five by the trustees of the museum. Once the board is appointed, they elect a chairman. The board also appoints a director whose mandate is to make strategic decisions regarding the operation of the museum. Supply of Museum Services Memories of a Nation at the British Museum The British Museum consists of a collection of many artefacts that showcase the German history. The exhibition that was a making of Neil MacGregor; the director, commences with artefacts from the joyous reunification of Germany in 1989; this shows how disjointed the country had been for many years. During the 1700s Germany had nearly 200 forms of currencies and this was the result of the various rulers who each issued their own coinage. Ironically, in the modern age, Germany is the economic hub of the Eurozone and Britain which at that time had one currency, now has multiple. Historically Germany was portioned with very elusive boundaries, the present day Prague in Czech and Basel in Switzerland were within German boundaries under the Holy Roman Empire. The city of Prague served as an educational centre as it housed the most ancient German university. The museum also showcases artwork by German artists like Holbein who painted a portrait of a woman whose garments appear to have been imported via channels that were used to pave way for protestant ideologies and writings into Britain. Another exhibition is the Gutenberg Bible (1455) that proves that the use of oil based inks and machinery all have their roots in Germany (Davies 2014). Other parts of the exhibit include the Berlin Wall, the Holocaust, a Brothers Grimm display and a Volkswagen. The Goethe in der Campagna painting by Tischbein is showcased in the gallery. It is among the most famous German paintings that happens to sit in the British Museum, MacGregor expresses his gratitude to the Germans who honoured his request to have it showcased at the exhibition (The Guardian, 2014). He goes on to add that the task of setting up the exhibition was difficult because Germany has the most complicated history in the European region and the task was the first of its kind. In the final segment of the exhibition is a large bronze figure of an angel that was prepared by Ernst Barlach in 1927 to commemorate the war and served as a memory tool for Gustrow cathedral. This article lent to the British Museum is the third model of the original which was melted in 1938 by the Nazis. The second version was buried in the west after the war. This existing model was made in the 1950s and presented to Gustrow as a friendship ornament. The ornament is a form of biography of the German history of the 20th century. A 1953 model of the Volkswagen Beetle is an icon of union, it was availed to London on the anniversary of the First World War in a bid to regenerate connections (Brown 2014). Programme On Wednesday of 15th October 2014, members of the congregation were scheduled to attend the showcasing prior to the public opening on the following day. On Monday, a two-metre fraction of the Berlin Wall was the final segment to be set in place making it visible to any visitor at the museum, the 1953 Volkswagen Beetle was also an open sight with its exhibition point being the Green Courtyard. According to Neil MacGregor, the most tasking bit of the exhibition set-up was the depiction of the Holocaust however, under the advisement of Buchenwald concentration camp, they were able to come up with a replica that iron gate that read: “Jedem das Seine” which translates to: To each his due. The design of the writings above the gate were stirred by Bauhaus artists and were forged by Franz Erlich. The piece portrays defiance because the Bauhaus artists were loathed by the Nazis (Brown 2014). The exhibition was complemented by Neil’s BBC Radio 4 series: Germany: Memories of a Nation. Following the series will be the publishing of a book to illustrate the same (Burrel & Clark 2014). Among the artefacts reflected in the series will be the creation of sculptor Marks Grete, a children’s cardboard pattern game (1937) that features Nazi figures comprising the Fuhrer. A Jewish refugee that fled from the Nazi regime to London (Luke 2014). The series is an outlook of 600 years of the German history that features imperative ‘German’ cities like Kaliningrad, Prague, Konigsberg and Strasbourg and home of Immanuel Kant. It will also contain a reading by Cumberbatch Benedict of Metamorphosis by Kafka and a complete staging of Mother Courage by Brecht (Burrel & Clark 2014). Customer Feedback Lorraine Martin is a British resident attending the show with her family, she claims that her expectations of the exhibit were narrowed down to the Nazis but she was surprised to be met by the sight of the 1953 Volkswagen Beetle at the exhibition. From this one gathers that the history of the Second World War is the dominant notion about the German history that many British have. Evidently the German-centred showcase helped in diluting the stereotypical mind-sets of the British locals concerning the German history (DW.DE 2014). According to the lead curator Barrie Cook, the turn-up for all days since its official opening on 16th October 2014 was either close to capacity or a full turn-out. The first segment of the presentation is a footage of East Germans in 1989, crossing the border into West Germany, quickly but comprehensively, the film journeys the audience through the history of the Holy Roman Empire to its amalgamation in 1871 up to the events leading to the current state in the 21st century. Cook explains that the film paired up with the objects in the exhibit provide insight on various segments of the German history leading up to the modern day nation (DW.DE 2014). Roy Hughes; a resident of Chester in east of England, claims that he was previously ignorant of the frequency with which German borders have shifted over centuries. In addition to the knowledge he gathered, Roy was also pleased with the fact that the exhibit was wholesome and dwelt little on the war. Barry Johnson was also a visitor to the museum; he resides at Cornwall that is more than 400 kilometres from the exhibit zone. He was satisfied with the exhibit and labelled it “an eye-opener” (DW.DE 2014). The role of the museum to the social development of the people who have had a history of both unity and disintegration in cycles is a major one. Cook is glad that the exhibit brought out emotional reactions of excitement and surprise from the visitors. He attributes this to the manner with which the show was presented; it brought forward ideas that are a part of the history of Germany (DW.DE 2014). Operations Cost Structure Museums differ in various ways from other establishment in the service industry. These differences are evidenced in the following ways: high fixed costs for exhibits, insurance, staff, technical outfits and building to name but a few (Johnson & Thomas 1997). These are features in their structure that entirely apply for the long-term plan of the firm. This is to say that museums generally operate on a long haul profit projection system; the operative expenses for museums have little to do with the output (Anon 2002). The marginal expenditures on the other hand project to zero, for instance in the case of an exhibition opening like the German Memories of a Nation by the British Museum, the principle operating outlay is realised on the opening day and is therefore independent of the turnout by the visitors. In the case of blockbuster exhibitions, the possibility of additional visitors availing themselves comes with congestion overheads that may sum up to £8 per head. This figure was arrived at through the application of provisional valuation techniques (Maddison & Foster 2003, p.173-190). Productivity lag may arise and result in dynamic expenditures, this may be the case in situations where prompt productivity advances are required and they may involve; posting the event on the internet for marketing, introduction of a new segment like Public Management or excessive reliance on volunteer assistance (Lawley 2003, p.77). Since the greatest asset that museums have are their affluences which generate opportunity costs. The opportunity cost that lies in the possession of an artefact is realised by the alternative use of the item like its sale. In the registration of museums, a common tendency is the habit of museums to play down their opportunity costs. Cost Functions Cost functions are a relation of net input to productivity, a log linear model is used and it varies various aspects in the operational structure of a museum. The model is: Ln TC= ln a + b ln Q + y ln S + s ln K + r1EX + r2ED + r3CN + r4MB + r5AC In this equation, TC is the total cost of operation, Q is the attendance recorded, W is the salary paid per worker, K is the ratio of promotional outlays to hand-outs from both private and public sectors. The second segment of the equation is a relation of the priority arrangement of the museum and its impact on expenditure EX are the costs incurred by exhibition undertakings, ED educational budgets, CN are the conservation costs and MB are the outlays resulting from membership activities. These are all variables that affect the total outcome of museum operations. The organisational form that a museum assumes may vary from private to public. Within these domains, the organisation may adopt a profit oriented strategy or non-profit. In Europe and the entire world, the predominant outlay is the non-profit from, this may be solely because of the operational costs of operating a museum (Weisbrod 1977). The greater number of museums have a demand value that is below the operational figure, this may be attributed to the low turnout experienced on regular days. Museums rely on exhibition days for major turn-outs but with the frequency with which they occur, it is difficult for them to realise a profit. This leaves limited options for museums, either they selectively offer admission receipts that would cover the operating costs to volunteers or ask for generous donations from volunteers. If one ran a profit based museum, reliance on donations would serve to benefit the enterprise on a short term basis because it is easier to get donors for a non-profit organisation; in non-profit establishments, the likelihood of exploitation is very low (Bruno & Meier, Chapter 29, p.1025). British Museum Benefactors The museum strives to propagate a culture of excellence for the quality of its scholarship and the brilliance of its collection. In 2013, the museum received exceptional donations from the 20th century that are of the form of print and drawings that were inclusive of works by Georg Baselitz and Frank Auerbach. Such donations come with a financial backing that enables the museum to further its collections. Samsung Company and Asahi Shimbun are loyal partners that have renewed their pledge in supporting the establishment. Capital expenditure on the Exhibitions Centre, the World Conservation and plant and building restorations in 2014 summed up to £45.8 million, paralleled with £42.3 million in 2012/13. Evidently the total budgetary allocations are on the rise with a documented £2.6 million disbursed on heritage properties which is £1.5 million more than the previous year. Similar increments have been observed with bequeathed heritage acquisitions. In terms of grants, the 2014/15 financial year saw the museum realise a summed up value of £19.6 million that was close to £20 million less the previous year. The trust of the museum received a total of £18 million for it to further its charity activities under a sovereign charity by the name British Museum Trust Limited (The British Museum Account 2013-2014). Public Benefit 15th January 1759 marked the year that the British Museum officially opened its doors to the public. This paved way for the showcasing of Sir Hans Sloane’s above 71,000 objects together with his herbarium and library to the public for their enjoyment and study. These materials were housed in Montagu House that sits on Great Russell Street (Travers 2006, p.9-14). The British Museum is entirely a public entity which is an initiative that has been fully supported by the board and the government making it the foremost encyclopaedic museum on such a measure (Travers & Glaister 2004, p.7-12). The establishment provides an all access service to the greatest accomplishments that humanity has realised over time. This initiative has reflected tremendous growth in the visitation numbers recorded from the 18th century where the value averaged 300,000 visits per annum in the mid-1800s and the number shot up to nearly 6.8 million in the 2013/14 financial year. With technological novelty, the internet is a platform for the world’s population to access the archives of the museum with an abundance of more than 3 million objects that can be viewed and downloaded for personal use. These endeavours are in agreement with unit 17 of the 2011 Charities Act. Sustainability Report The operations of the British Museum have their implications on the environment, starting from the resource consumption to waste disposal and product use. As of 2007, the sustainability policy was approved by the trustees of the establishment. The winter season enabled the entity to save up on electricity bills for heating, counterpoise partially by the augmented electricity usage in the summer for cooling purposes realised a drop in total yearly energy use. However, the gas emissions have risen but the establishment has countered these rises by partnering with World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre (WCEC) to condense the sources of greenhouse gas emissions by the museum. The partnership has been productive with the planned review of the organisation’s energy grids and building management structures for energy optimisation and voltage management for conservation. At the beginning of 2014, the organisation adopted a new facilities management provider that served to divert all the effluent from landfill. The new system involves incineration or recycling which accounts for 35% of the entire waste. In the 2012/13 financial year, reports indicated a 5.6 million turnout in visits to the establishment, an increase of 1.2 million was realised in the next year and is attributed to the source of increase in total catering effluence. The amplified visitor numbers resulted in an increased water use. Since 2010/2011 there has been a 17.2% fall in the usage by 2013/2014. This factor is inversely proportional to the growing numbers of visitors and is a result of the repair and maintenance initiatives taken up by the museum in a bid to conserve the resource. Another move is the scheme of lavatory revamp and installation of water saving apparatus (The British Museum Account 2013-2014). Conclusion The artefacts included in the exhibit range to a timespan of 5 centuries in age and that are on loan from German museums. Some of the articles were crossed multinational borders for the first time. All of the items used had a role in shaping Germany to the modern civilization it is. MacGregor the director of the British Museum brings to light the importance of creating an understanding of the true nature of the history of Germany through that standpoint because it is a step forward in understanding the world of today (MacGregor. & Fulbrook 2014). The exhibition opened different avenues of relaying the same information to a wider scope of the world’s population through the 30-part BBC radio segment on the same. Each week a piece of information of the German history will be aired which is sufficient to impact the stereotypes that exist with facts. References Anon, 20th June 2002, ‘Hard Times at the British Museum’, The Economist. Atkinson, R. ‘Project Management’, Department of Information Systems, The Business School, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset BH12 5BB, UK. British Museum Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, p.49-54. Brown, M. 13th Oct. 2014. The Guardian, Bygone Germany puts 600 Years of History on Show in London, [Online]. [Accessed 9th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/oct/13/ Budge, A. 4th Feb. 2010, The Royal Armouries: What are its cultural impacts? [Online]. [Accessed 8th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.ucm.es/info/cliwoc/ Burrel, I. & Clark, N. 11th September 2014. British Museum and Radio 4 Plan Major New Exhibition on German History, [Online]. [Accessed 9th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.theindependent.co.uk/news/world/europe Davies, C. 15th Dec. 2014. The New Criterion, Germany: Memories of a Nation at the British Museum, [Online]. [Accessed 9th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.newcriterion.com/posts.cfm/ DW.DE, 15th Oct. 2014. London Exhibition Aims to Alter Germany’s Image, [Online]. [Accessed 9th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.dw.de DW.DE, 6th Nov. 2014. Guests Flock to London’s Germany Exhibition, [Online]. [Accessed 9th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.dw.de January 2015, ‘Britain’s Promise to Remember’, The Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission Report. Johnson, P.S. & Thomas, R.B. 1997, ‘What Is a Museum? An Economic Perspective on the Professionals’ View’, Proceedings, 4th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Management of the Arts and Culture. San Francisco. Lawley, I. 2003, ‘Local Authority Museums and the Modernizing Government Agenda In England’, The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, p.77. Luke, B. 16th Oct. 2014. London Evening Standard, Germany: Memories of a Nation, British Museum- Exhibition Review, [Online]. [Accessed 9th May 2015]. Available from: http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/exhibitions Maddison, D. & Foster, T. 2003, ‘Valuing Congestion Costs in the British Museum’, Oxford Economic Papers. 55, p.173-190. MacGregor, N. & Fulbrook, M. 2014, ‘A Reluctant Leader? Germany in the 21st Century’, Europe Programme: Transcript. Travers, T. 2006, ‘Museums and Galleries in Britain: Economic, Social and Creative Impacts’, London School of Economics, p.9-14. Travers, T. & Glaister, S. 2004, ‘Impact and Innovation among National Museums’, Valuing Museums, p.7-12. Weisbrod, B. A. 1977, ‘The Voluntary Non-profit Sector: An Economic Analysis. D.C. Heath &Company, Lexington, MA. Read More