DYNAMICS OF STAKEHOLDER ROLES AND POWER RELATIONS IN CREATIVE ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT IN TOURISM VILLAGES: A CASE STUDY OF LEBIH TOURISM VILLAGE, GIANYAR, BALI

Abstract

The development of creative economies in tourism villages is commonly framed within collaborative governance models that emphasize multi-stakeholder participation. In practice, however, collaboration often remains normative, as unequal power relations shape decision-making processes and development outcomes. This study examines how stakeholders are configured in terms of roles, interests, and influence, how power asymmetries affect the quality of collaborative governance, and what barriers constrain substantive collaboration in tourism village creative economy initiatives. A qualitative case study was conducted in Lebih Tourism Village, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, between November 2024 and January 2025. Data were collected through field observations, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders representing village government, community-based organizations, creative economy actors, academics, and digital media managers, as well as document analysis. The data were analyzed using thematic coding and subsequently mapped through a power-interest grid framework. The findings reveal a structurally asymmetric stakeholder configuration. The village government and the village-owned enterprise emerge as dominant actors with high power and interest, shaping strategic decisions and resource allocation. In contrast, community-based actors, including tourism awareness groups and micro and small creative enterprises, demonstrate high interest but limited influence, resulting in largely tokenistic participation. Supporting stakeholders contribute knowledge and visibility, but remain weakly institutionalized within governance arrangements. These power asymmetries constrain effective collaboration and undermine the sustainability of creative economy development. This study contributes theoretically by advancing the power-interest grid from a managerial mapping tool to a governance-oriented analytical framework, highlighting that sustainable tourism village creative economies depend not merely on stakeholder inclusion but on balanced power relations and strengthened collaborative capacity.