The Body As a Representation of the Organisation

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Introduction This essay argues that managers should attempt to manage the employee’s body as it impacts various parts of the organisations especially the organisations overall performance. Section One drawing on Goss’ (1997) ‘Healthy Discipline? Health Promotion At Work’ explores the body’s impact on performance, where mangers implement health programs to improve their well being as well as their ulterior motive to increase employee’s optimum performance. Health programs stimulate healthier behaviours’ by avoiding unhealthy habits such as smoking, consumption of alcohol and lack of sleep which Brewis and Grey (2008) draw the implications to the body and more importantly performance in the workplace. The new stress of health programs and participation as an indication of job commitment are explored by Goss (1997), which draws on the repercussions of the introduction of these health programs to manage the body. Section two follows examining the body as a representation of the organisation as it communicates an employee’s work ethic and the organisations culture through employees’ behaviour. Kate Moss’ modeling scandal will be alluded to, as an example of the consequences of conflicting values between the organisation and the employee. Section three furthermore examines managing the body as a form of control to reiterate the power structure within the organisation. The power structure of the organisation must be maintained to ensure the balance within the organisation and assist the organisations achieve its desired outcome (Dale and Burrell 2008). Hence, as the body impacts many parts of the organisation it is an integral part, which must be managed, as it not only affects the organisation temporarily but also perpetually. The ... ... middle of paper ... ...2009, ‘The devil in high heels: drugs, symbolism and Kate Moss’ Culture and Organisation 15 (3/4), pp. 331-345. BBC News, 2005, H&M drops Moss over drug claims, viewed 12 October 2011, . Brewis, J. & Grey, C., 2008, ‘The Regulation of smoking at work, ‘ Human Relations, Volume 61(7), pp.965-987. Burrell, G., 1984, ‘Sex and Organisational Analysis’ Organisational Studies, 5/12, pp.97-118. Dale, K. & Burrell, G., 2000, ‘What Shape Are We In? Organisation Theory and the organized body,’ Functions and Flows, Part One, pp. 15-29. Goss, D., 1997, ‘Healthy Discipline? Health Promotion At Work’ Electronic Journal of Radical Organisational Theory, 3 (2), pp. 1-12. McGillivray, D., 2005, ‘Fitter, Happier, More Productive: Governing Working Bodies through Wellness,’ Cultural Organisation, Vol. 11(2), pp. 125-138.

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