Artists' Perception of Management in Opera Theaters and Opera Theater Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examines the perspectives of lyrical artists in Romania on how opera theater performance is influenced by key aspects of institutional management (such as planning, organization, motivation, and control) during the COVID period. The objectives of our study are the following: (1) to identify how institutional management was perceived by lyrical artists during the COVID period; (2) to identify the relationship between opera theatre performance and planning, organization, motivation, and control within opera theatres. The study employs a cross-sectional, non-experimental design and uses a survey-based questionnaire approach. The extended questionnaire comprises 36 items, with 19 specifically addressing the primary research question. A total of 135 lyrical artists participated in the study, of whom 89 (65.9%) were female and 46 (34.1%) were male. The questionnaire was distributed online via Google Forms, and statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. The nonparametric Spearman's rho test reveals very strong positive correlations between artists' perceptions of the relationship between opera theatre performance and key management elements: planning, organization, training-motivation, and control within opera theatres. The findings indicate that as planning, organization, training-motivation, and control are strengthened in opera theatres, the performance of the opera theatre correspondingly increases. The results are discussed with reference to similar results reported in national and international. From an academic perspective, this article enriches the current understanding of the adaptation of the management model of opera houses in a hostile environment and provides managers with concrete guidelines on the systematic adaptation of their business models in hostile situations.