The creative economy in the hand of local government: Fragmentation, overlapping meaning, and the absence of intermediary group

Abstract

The creative economy does not only attract the attention of practitioners for regional economic development but also academics to contribute knowledge in identifying the success or failure of the creative economy (Boǧa & Topcu, 2020). It may produce unique and different findings. This research tried to identify problems in developing a creative economy at the local government level. It is to identify factors that make the creative economy less developed. Informants from local government representatives and entrepreneurs were interviewed to obtain an overview of the creative economy in Ogan Ilir Regency. The findings show three main factors inhibiting the creative economy, namely the fragmentation of creative economy management, the overlapping meaning of the creative economy, and the last is absence of an intermediary group, the creative group. These findings practically contributed knowledge about the constraints of the creative economy that must be immediately resolved by local governments and contribute to the literature on a set of creative economic development.