08/01/2025

How GLAM Institutions Are Rewriting the Rulebook: Adapting to the Post-Pandemic and Digital Age?

Cultural institutions like museums, galleries, and archives—known collectively as GLAMs—have always prided themselves on being community-focused, participatory spaces.
But the pandemic and the rise of digital technology have thrown these principles into sharp relief, pushing these institutions to adapt their management and organizational practices faster than ever before. How do these institutions maintain their identity while responding to new societal demands? And more importantly, how do they keep their core participatory practices intact in the face of  rapid change?
Our case study of the Schwules Museum in Berlin provides some compelling insights into these questions. The study explores the challenges GLAMs face as they attempt to balance traditional values with the modern pressures of digitization and post-pandemic reconfiguration.

ECHN met Ares Kalandides (Inpolis) and discussed what he has learned about the evolving role of management practices in cultural commons.

PART  I

ECHN: What did your research reveal about the central question for GLAMs today: How can they remain true to their core values community involvement, participatory decision- making, and cultural representation—while adapting to external pressures?

AK: The pandemic has forced many institutions to reassess how they operate, and digitization has only added another layer of complexity. In the case of the Schwules Museum, which has seen significant growth and international recognition in recent years, the introduction of new organizational practices created friction within the institution.

ECHN: You mean, for example, how the museum can introduce new exhibition topics, attract more visitors, and meet the expectations of a global audience without compromising its core values.

AK: Yes, as the museum expanded to meet growing demands, it found itself at a crossroads. The internal challenges were palpable: volunteers expressed frustration over a lack of communication and coordination, while management struggled to maintain a cohesive vision.

ECHN: Can you talk a bit more about the role of volunteers in shaping the museum’s organizational practices?

AK: At the heart of this shift is the crucial role of volunteers, who often form the backbone of GLAM institutions. Many of them felt that as the institution grew, their voices were being drowned out by the expanding operations. Despite the museum’s commitment to participatory practices, volunteers expressed frustration over hierarchical divisions and a perceived lack of agency.

ECHN: What was the direct impact on the organisation?

AK: The research revealed that three key organizational modes emerged in response to these challenges: top-down professional consultancy, bottom-up semi-professional practices, and routinized participatory modes. These modes reflected the growing diversity of duties and thematic focuses within the museum but also highlighted the tensions between professional management and volunteer-driven governance.

ECHN: How can new organizational practices be seen as legitimate by the museum’s stakeholders, particularly its volunteers?

AK: The crux of the issue lies in legitimacy. As GLAMs, like the Schwules Museum, adapt to new demands, they must also ensure that their practices remain aligned with the values that originally gave them legitimacy. The research found that the museum’s management was caught in a delicate balancing act: striving to meet the external expectations imposed by global trends, while keeping the core participatory ethos alive.