“I have some good news and some bad news,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Roleff Kråkström began, as he opened the Moomin Characters Ltd monthly meeting during another surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ll begin with the bad. We are unfortunately forced to postpone the big party that we have every year.”
This was bad news because parties are a key fabric of the Moomin organization. Parties serve as one means of retaining its sense of common purpose and togetherness. They are a fundamentally important part of the Moomin philosophy.
“The good news is that our performance is the best ever,” Roleff continued. He presented the revenues, profits, and balance sheet, and asked: “Does anyone have questions or comments about the figures?” After a moment’s silence, he added: “I do. This is amazing! You are all doing a fantastic job! When things are not going so well in the market and in society, Moomin continues to perform. In tough times people go back to what gives them comfort.”
Performing well has become customary for Moomin. The business has been growing profitably and expanding worldwide. Moomin Characters Ltd, the company that is responsible for Moomin copyright supervision, is at its core. Giving comfort to people has turned it into a business with a global annual retail value of close to a billion euros. Moomin has developed into a dynamic ecosystem of companies, which nurture a wealth of strategic partnerships.
Ecosystem as a concept is borrowed from biology to denote a complex weaving of relations and interactions where different actors depend on each other. The term ‘business ecosystem’ was coined by James F. Moore to depict coevolution and reciprocal strategic logic between companies to stay ahead in a continuous quest for capitalizing on innovations.
We consider Moomin to be a business ecosystem because it is characterized by coevolving capabilities, roles, and support of various organizations and individuals. It is based on a shared vision and mutual benefits. The ecosystem
Rights & Brands is also crucial for the Moomin ecosystem. This is a company that deals with all aspects of character representation and branding, from publishing and public relations to licensing. Rights & Brands is the worldwide licensing agent for Moomin Characters. Like Moomin Characters, Rights & Brands has daughter companies and strategic partners in different countries. The Moomin world of art and fantasy is backed by solid business organizations, operations, and professionals.
If you search for ‘Moomin’ online, you’ll be surprised to see the breadth and width of all the stuff that is out there. Moomins seem to be everywhere.
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As characters, Moomins are unique. They are amiable troll creatures with pear-shaped faces who live with their friends in the Moominvalley. The Swedish-speaking Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson created the first Moomin images and stories in the 1940s and soon expanded into comic strips and animation films. Tove, as she is widely known, was both visually and textually gifted. She was original, energetic, and productive, and she had a bit of business acumen too.
Tove Jansson developed an enduring ability to balance between art and business, something that is characteristic of the Moomin ecosystem today. Tove inspired others and developed a way of sharing ideas and working together. She created characters and stories that stand the test of time. The Moomins continue to excite and engage people of all ages.
We are fascinated by Moomin management. Over the years, a particular way of managing people and business seems to have developed at Moomin. We argue that it is about managing with generosity: taking care of people and showing respect and deference, albeit sometimes with prickly humour. Generosity is based on the widely held conviction in the ecosystem that the Moomins offer more than entertainment for people. They help to make people profoundly happy. They bring people comfort.
Generosity can be found in the original Moomin stories, and it is characteristic of how the Moomin business ecosystem functions. Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories are reflected in the business as well as the narrative of this book. They offer allegories to discuss management that is open to difference and that aims to treat people well.
In books, comics, and films, Moomins and their friends endure hardships and overcome challenges. They stay true to their vision of life, which is about equality, respect, friendship, and positive rebellion. No-one is perfect but everyone is accepted. The Moomin philosophy is rooted in love, tolerance, and adventure.
In everyday language, we talk about generous people who are ready to give more to others than would be expected or necessary. We consider generous people charitable and munificent. While kindness is associated with helpfulness and empathy, generosity is about giving something that is thought to be of specific value.
In psychology and related fields, scholars such as Elizabeth W. Dunn and her colleagues have found connections between generosity and happiness. Studies suggest that being generous brings us joy and makes us happier. While generosity emerges from selflessness, it is in fact (and rather selfishly, perhaps) in our own best interest.
Neuroscientists, too, have found evidence that generosity increases happiness. Soyoung Park and her colleagues argue that pledging to being generous is enough to make us happier. The decision to give is crucial and there seems to be a connection between happiness and performing selfless acts.
The effects of what is known as targeted generosity are particularly intriguing. Targeted generosity refers to instances where we (think we) know the effects of our generosity on certain people or issues. The argument is that knowledge about the targets of our generosity gives us (or our brain) extra stimulation. Being strategically generous makes us extra happy. This is what Tristen K. Inagaki and Lauren P. Ross’s study on different forms of giving support seems to suggest.
However, it would be naïve to believe that generosity is enacted in organizations only to make us happy. There are many reasonable, and perhaps also unreasonable, motivations behind generosity.
Marketing scholar and business professional Leonard L. Berry suggests that corporate generosity is purposeful, channeled, integrated, and oriented towards results. In ‘effectively generous’ companies, Berry argues, the relationship between social and financial performance is mutually reinforcing, creating a virtuous circle that benefits not only the company but also employees, customers, and the community.
In organizational settings, generosity is often connected to positivity and associated with specific forms of leadership. In their edited book on positive organizational scholarship, Kim S. Cameron, Jane E. Dutton, and Robert E. Quinn indicate that cultivating generous behaviours can lead to the development of positive reserves, thereby fostering resilience in organizations. Generosity can be a pivotal quality in leading people in good and bad times.
Generosity is sometimes associated with what is known as servant leadership that prioritizes the greater good over personal gain. While some associate generosity with authenticity or being true to oneself and one’s guiding principles, others associate it with spirituality and a calling in life.
Considering generosity in the workplace, scholars and consultants tend to treat it as something residing in, and related to, individuals. They associate generosity with giving, helping, supporting, and guiding. They celebrate the virtues of generous leaders who invest time and energy in enabling others to develop and progress.
It also seems that generosity can be understood in terms of the teachings of this or that philosopher, thinker, or guru. Ancient wisdom, reciting what can be interpreted as generosity, can be found pretty much everywhere on earth it seems. It is typically assumed that to be generous to others, we must learn to be generous to ourselves.
However, the wisdom of generous leaders is difficult to pin down. Generous leaders appreciate others and listen to them, that much is clear. They show that they have listened, and act accordingly. They distribute information and share credit. Generous leaders build trust and make others feel that they matter. It seems that the list of virtuous qualities of generous leaders is endless, and generosity can come to mean everything and nothing.
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This book seeks to redefine generosity by offering insights to developing a business that is committed to bringing people comfort. For this, individualistic understandings of generosity do not suffice.
There is a danger of slipping into self-management techniques and mindfulness exercises and losing sight of the context that enables and gives meaning to generosity. Individualistic understandings can also lead to a naïve quest for essential authenticity of supposedly generous leaders.
Further, if generosity is expected to reside in individuals it becomes subject to planning, measuring, and audit. Such rigid and formulaic approaches fail to appreciate how quixotic it is to try to quantify and measure something that, we argue, lies between rather than in individuals.
Measuring generosity scores of individuals does not make much sense because generosity never takes place in a vacuum. It emerges and finds meaning in given circumstances and conditions, and it is impossible to carve out and measure on its own. Sometimes it leads to great things, but it can also
Rather than generosity of individuals, then, this book is about generosity as management practice. We develop an understanding of how generosity as a management and organizing principle plays out as recurring activities – practices – in Moomin Characters and its ecosystem. Generosity is the grounding for the Moomin way, as we call it.
While generosity is not altruism or philanthropy, intentionality in generosity is a question we return to throughout the book. Critical entrepreneurship and organization scholars Daniel Hjorth and Robin Holt understand generosity as the action of opening possibility without known ends. However, the point about ‘without known ends’ is not always so clear-cut, or easy to determine, as we will see. Moomin generosity is very much about opening possibilities, intentionally as well as unintentionally.
Crucially, we view generosity as a relational notion. Getting (or not) the benefit of being recognized as generous, for example, is related to how others view generous acts. Generosity emerges in relations and interaction between people – and between people, spaces, and technologies. Generous management, then, is about creating conditions that enable and give rise to acts of generosity.
Focusing on how generosity gets done, we argue against individualist understandings of management – and against management control that is obsessed with metrics and measurement.
***
Monthly meetings that all employees are welcome to attend are an established practice at Moomin Characters. As the COVID-19 pandemic once again tightened its grip, the meeting referred to earlier was held online. After a discussion on results and performance, a bit of rousing news was shared.
“I am stepping down as Creative Director of Moomin Characters,” said Sophia Jansson, Tove’s niece, and a major shareholder in the company. “My son James Zambra will take over. I feel happy about the handover, but also a little sad.”
“It’s good to do this when the company is doing so fantastically well. It is all thanks to you great people,” Sophia added. “Let’s keep this short, because otherwise I’m going to cry. I know a lot of things. When there’s a question that no-one else can answer, just call me.”
“Sophia is still the head of the Jansson estate and its spokesperson,” James Zambra confirmed. “She has so much knowledge and so many stories to tell.” Roleff Kråkström agreed: “There is only one person left on this earth who has shared a home and spent a lot of time with Tove and her partner Tuulikki Pietilä.” His voice was trembling just a little when he confirmed
Thomas Zambra, James’s brother, already had a key role in the organization. At the time, Thomas, known as Tom, worked as Director of Business Development. After the handover from Sophia to James, the generational shift in the Moomin organization was nearing completion.
Even in times of transformation, taking care of Tove Jansson’s legacy with pride was not compromised. While the business has been growing and expanding, Moomin is still very much a family business.
When Sophia Jansson announced that she was to step down, it was an emotional moment for all. The handover carried symbolic significance, but it was also characteristic of the atmosphere and ways of working at Moomin Characters. The handover was intimate and warm. It was emotional in a down to earth and humorous way.
Sharing emotions is a big part of how the Moomin organization functions. Often it is about positive and constructive emotions such as happiness, joy, and enthusiasm. Sometimes it is about frustration, sadness, and grief – even anger.
Managing with generosity is about dealing with positive as well as negative emotions. It is grounded in creating and maintaining a space where all organizational members can feel that they are respected and heard. Like in Moominvalley, witty and wild humour brings the necessary edge to keeping life interesting. Tensions and conflicts are a natural part of any community, and people need to be able to let off steam from time to time. A shared sense of humour offers a means for this.
And then there are the parties, something immensely enjoyed by Tove Jansson in her time. Parties spice up relations and interaction in Moominvalley and the current business ecosystem alike. They are a good way to share emotions, celebrate together, and spread joy and happiness. Parties are common practice in and around Moomin Characters. This is why the CEO shared the bad news about the party first, before attending to the great figures and corporate performance.
The postponed big party was to be combined with celebrating Sophia Jansson’s birthday a little later. It was to be something special – a spectacle worthy of the Moomin tradition.
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Many books have been written about the Moomins and they have encouraged numerous academic studies. Tove Jansson’s original Moomin stories have been meticulously analysed. The life and times of Tove herself has been recalled in books, documentaries, and films. The creator and her creations have received an overwhelming amount of attention. Boel
Surprisingly enough, this is the first academic treatise on the world of the Moomins from a management perspective. Rather than centring on the magical Moomin art and fantasy world, our focus is on the business side. Of course, the two are closely connected, and there would not be one without the other. We draw inspiration from research on Tove Jansson and her Moomin characters and stories but look at Moomin from a different angle.
This book did not come out of thin air. What you read is based on a unique ethnographic study of the Moomin ecosystem conducted by Paul Savage. With Moomin Characters Ltd as his home base, Paul observed the ecosystem for more than two years, interviewed dozens of people in different organizational positions, and had numerous informal conversations with them. Paul developed close ties with key decision-makers at Moomin and took part in social functions and parties they organized. He accessed a variety of documents, visual images, and videos, including works by Tove Jansson, to complement the materials he generated at Moomin.
Paul is inspired by hermeneutic phenomenology and, drawing on the work of philosopher Paul Ricoeur and others, the idea that understanding a part requires understanding the whole, and vice versa. Together with Janne Tienari, an outsider to Moomin, Paul engaged in a process of discovery. Analysing Moomin played out as a hermeneutic cycle of deepening shared understandings of generosity, not as isolated acts, but entwined with the very essence of existence and experiences in the Moomin ecosystem.
Is this book reality or fiction? Perhaps we need to go beyond this dichotomy to capture the spirit of what we are doing here. Paul is influenced by literary scholar Wolfgang Iser’s work on the real, the fictive, and the imaginary. Our book is based on real actions of real people, and the artwork is real too. The fictive is about how we craft a narrative about what they do and why, as reflections of the real. In doing so, we point to an imaginary world, albeit implicitly, as a model for how things could be. So, generosity is real, but it is shaped by the interaction of the fictive and the imaginary.
In this book, we take Moomin Characters as our starting point, expand into the Moomin ecosystem, and elucidate ways of working and managing that have been successful in a wonderfully original way. We redefine generosity as a humane management principle and practice and argue that we all have something to learn from managing with generosity.
As such, the book can be read as critique towards business and management practice that is obsessed with numbers, metrics, and performance – and often ignorant of how to treat people well. By redefining generosity, we wish to send out a message of hope.
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The next chapter presents a journey into the history of the Moomins and the business they have helped to create. We offer a story that traces the origins of the ideas, inspiration, and philosophy that carry the Moomin business ecosystem. We revisit the past to make sense of the present and possible futures.
This is critical for understanding the Moomin brand, discussed in Chapter 3. We recount the delicate balancing acts in managing a global brand while staying true to its roots. Generosity takes the form of managing with meaning, finding inspiration from Tove Jansson’s creations where you start with fear and dilemmas, find bravery in yourself, and end with generosity. For the Moomin business, generosity helps protect Tove’s legacy. At the same time, it keeps the ecosystem open and alert to the complexities and uncertainties of the global operating environment.
Chapter 4 is about strategic partnerships with companies and other organizations. It is about coordinating and organizing all the different and often passionate connections people (consumers and customers) have with Moomin (its creators and business decision-makers). Generosity plays out as engaging stakeholders and managing with different stakeholders such as licensees. It is about keeping the magic in a cut-throat entertainment business where passion is easily diluted and where only money seems to matter.
In Chapter 5, we turn our attention to strategy work, and learn how the Moomin legacy is turned into performance and growth by doing strategy in specific ways. It is about downplaying the significance of detailed strategic planning and highlighting shared values and orientation towards exploration and execution. Generosity takes the form of managing with vision and purpose, but it also meets challenges of managing across borders and cultures.
New technologies take centre stage in Chapter 6. Or, more precisely, it is about people and technologies and how they work together in the digitalized world. We highlight new initiatives by the ecosystem where Moomins are featured in mobile games and the like and consider what it means to recreate a two-dimensional world as three-dimensional. As Moomin Characters is expanding its digital footprint and offering, generosity is extended to the virtual sphere.
Chapter 7 takes us back to some eternal people management questions. It deals with managing a resilient organization. Generosity is met with some edge when it faces difficult questions of managing people and their differences. It is about supporting people who are ‘broken’ and who fight personal challenges in their lives. It is also about shared humour. We recount how managing people with generosity enables taking responsibility in and beyond the organization in conditions of the global economy.
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Tove Jansson, the creator of Moomin
Source: © Per Olov JanssonIt is likely that the world is going to be even more uncertain, fast, complex, and tense. Questions of responsibility and sustainability will be increasingly important. Organizations and their people need a clear guiding light for survival and success, and we propose generosity for this purpose.
