Understanding that many projects are bound to fall through during their development or experience a much sooner than expected end for different reasons, I set out to investigate how managers in creative settings handled these delicate situations. While the literature accounted for the motives behind the decision to prematurely end a project as well as spoke to the competencies or behaviors that should be exhibited in such instances, this study contributes original insights on how to go about terminating creative projects. It sheds light on key actions across the entire lifespan of projects and beyond, as well as on the numerous dimensions – emotional, technical, knowledge – that require intentional management. While risk and uncertainty come with the territory in creative settings, terminations should not have to jeopardize the survival of firms. As such, this study shows how to minimize negative impacts and to salvage anything worthy of another attempt, without undermining the delicate relationships and dynamics at the heart of creative work.
