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.
Author(s): Katherine K. Chen
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 268
Contents......Page 6
List of Illustrations......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
Acknowledgments......Page 12
1. Introduction: The Perils of Under- and Overorganizing......Page 15
2. Context: The Development of the Burning Man Event and Organization......Page 39
3. "Do-ocracy": Acting on Suggestions and Criticisms......Page 57
4. "Radical Inclusion": Attracting and Placing Members......Page 79
5. "No Spectators": Motivating Members to Contribute......Page 99
6. "Immerse Yourself": Managing Relations in the Pursuit of Legitimacy......Page 139
7. Conclusion: Sustaining Creative Chaos......Page 179
Appendix 1: Ethnography and Qualitative Research......Page 192
Appendix 2: Interview Protocols......Page 200
Notes......Page 206
Reference List......Page 234
Index......Page 256
