Stephen Cho

Prior to joining the Institute for Design Innovation, Stephen worked in multiple well-known advertising agencies in New York City and Amsterdam, gaining international experience. Stephen holds an MRes (Master of Research) in Communication Design from the Royal College of Art (RCA). He obtained a BFA in Advertising and Design at the School of Visual Arts, New York City.

Stephen’s doctoral research investigates the significant role that institutional logics and structures play in enabling individuals to effectively combine resources within Creative Professional Service Firms (Creative-PSFs). Creative-PSFs are characterised by their focus on innovation as a means to both draw in business and satisfy client demands. Such firms rely on professionals working together to merge their expertise, skills, and time to produce results that are advantageous for all parties involved. Nevertheless, due to their project-focused approach, Creative-PSFs can harbour varying and at times conflicting institutional logics, resulting in internal strains.

To comprehend the interrelations among resource integration, institutional logics, and tensions in Creative-PSFs, Stephen’s study unravels the distinct attributes of Creative-PSFs, employing an analytical framework grounded in Service-Dominant (S-D) logic and the institutional logics perspective.

The research addresses three primary concerns. Firstly, there's an absence of a well-defined understanding of Creative-PSFs, as they are often grouped with the wider creative sector or conventional Professional Service Firms. Secondly, there is a theoretical misalignment in the application of institutional theory within S-D Logic theory, particularly the institutional logics viewpoint. Lastly, current Creative Industry studies tend to focus heavily on the creative aspects, neglecting other crucial roles. This leads to the pivotal question: How do institutional arrangements facilitate or impede actors' ability to integrate resources within Creative-PSF Projects?