The Culture Business

the long version

This book presents new theoretical and empirical data on the organization of firms whose main business is the selling of aesthetic experiences. The ephemeral nature of the aesthetic experience causes considerable uncertainty about the commercial reception of cultural products. Dealing with this uncertainty in the market is one of the most challenging tasks for managers in the culture business. By searching for similarities between different businesses the book aims to provide future managers in the arts world with the tools to deal with the special organizational and managerial problems they will encounter. The Cultural Business is a reflection of the growing awareness in the business world that managing culture requires a different frame of reference from that of other areas of industry.