Andrew Taylor on the Business
of Arts & Culture
www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/
home | about | about Andrew
Of management metaphor and myth
Posted: October 27, 2009
Orchestras are notoriously dysfunctional places, often filled with talented people suffering from acute frustration at their lack of autonomy or of artistic self-expression. And the conductor of stereotype is an autocratic figure who doesn't care if his musicians are happy or not.And while those archetypes are changing by necessity, increasingly toward collaborative leadership and venture-friendly conductors, it's still not clear that the orchestral metaphor holds much water for the modern manager. Says she:
...orchestras with conductors have not traditionally been the happiest places for their employees; orchestras without conductors do not necessarily make the best music; and yet orchestras are being presented as holding keys to business success.Discuss, indeed.