Enabling creative chaos the organization behind the Burning Man event - Chen, Katherine Kang-Ning (University of Chicago Press, 2009)
Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002
Includes bibliographical references and index
Introduction: the perils of under- and overorganizing -- Context: the development of the Burning Man event and organization -- Reflexive organizing: incorporating suggestions and criticisms -- Radical inclusion: attracting and placing members -- No spectators: motivating members to contribute -- Managing relations in the pursuit of legitimacy -- Conclusion: sustaining creative chaos -- Appendix 1. Ethnography and qualitative research -- Appendix 2. Interview protocols
In the summer of 2008, nearly fifty thousand people traveled to Nevada's Black Rock Desert to participate in the countercultural arts event Burning Man. Founded on a commitment to expression and community, the annual weeklong festival presents unique challenges to its organizers. Over four years Katherine K. Chen regularly participated in organizing efforts to safely and successfully create a temporary community in the middle of the desert under the hot August sun. Enabling Creative Chaos tracks how a small, underfunded group of organizers transformed into an unconventional corporation with a ten-million-dollar budget and two thousand volunteers. Over the years, Burning Man's organizers have experimented with different management models; learned how to recruit, motivate, and retain volunteers; and developed strategies to handle regulatory agencies and respond to media coverage. This remarkable evolution, Chen reveals, offers important lessons for managers in any organization, particularly in uncertain times
Keywords: Burning Man (Festival) / Management; Burning Man (Festival) -- Management; Black Rock City, LLC -- Management; Geschichte 2005-2007; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Customs & Traditions; Art festivals -- Nevada -- Management; Kunst; USA; Aufsatzsammlung