Perform or Else

by Jon McKenzie

'Performance' has become one of the key terms for the new century. But what do we mean by 'performance'? In today's world it can refer to experimental art; productivity in the workplace; and the functionality of technological systems. Do these disparate fields bear any relation to each other?
In Perform or Else Jon McKenzie asserts that there is a relationship cultural, organisational, and technological performance. In this theoretical tour de force McKenzie demonstrates that all three paradigms operate together to create powerful and contradictory pressures to 'perform...or else'. This is an urgent and important intervention in contemporary critical thinking. It will profoundly shape our understanding of twenty-first century structures of power and knowledge.

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2001

Reviews

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author attempts to create a general theory of performance, which is a challenging task. The author’s general theory of performance is based on the history of techno-scientific performance, theatrical performance, and business organisational performance. In my opinion, the author fails to explain the relationship between the three types of performances. On top of that the writing style makes it challenging to go through the book. The book, however, does propose an interesting discussion and could be worth reading...

[Katie]

see pgs. 29-53 for summary history of perf studies