Changing tracks: How status affects category shifts in the Korean popular music industry

Heeyon Kim, Yoonjeoung Heo and Chi‐Nien Chung

Strategic Management Journal, 2025, vol. 46, issue 11, 2752-2797

Abstract: Research Summary This study investigates how producers' status shapes their strategies for category shifting of their artists. Unlike prior research emphasizing its limitations, we argue that in creative industries, category shifting can offer substantial advantages. Focusing on producer‐driven markets, we propose that middle‐status producers align artists with market‐dominant categories, while high‐status ones pursue periodic radical shifts. However, for female artists, producers' influence on category shifts is constrained by audience expectations rooted in stricter institutional gender norms. Using a unique dataset from the Korean popular music industry, we find support for our hypotheses. We show that entertainment agencies' status influences the category‐shifting behaviors of idol groups. Yet, the impact of producer status is moderated by the broader gender expectations in which the artists are embedded. Managerial Summary This study explores how producers' status influences their approach to positioning their artists within existing market categories. Contrary to previous views focusing largely on limitations, we argue that category shifting in creative industries can bring significant benefits. In markets where producers drive the creative process, we suggest that those with moderate status tend to shift to follow popular categories, while high‐status ones opt for more radical changes. However, female artists face tighter constraints due to institutional norms. Drawing from data in the Korean popular music industry, we find evidence supporting our theory. We demonstrate how the status of entertainment agencies affects the category shifts of idol groups, though this effect is limited by broader gender expectations surrounding the artists.

Date: 2025
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