Organization as Metaphor: Using Morgan’s Metaphors as a Transitional Framework

One of the greatest challenges for a new leader is earning the respect and cooperation of his or her subordinates, and using that respect to make the organization or work team more effective. In the assigned scenario, I am a newly promoted leader assigned to replace a highly respected and recently retired organization veteran of 23 years. My work team consists of five mid-level managers with between four and twelve years of experience in their positions, and they have all worked together for four years. To best address the challenge of facilitating an effective transition, I will draw on the organizational behavior metaphors of Gareth Morgan (1986) in his book, Images of Organization, to focus on three important areas of management: perception, interpersonal relations, and effective communication. I will then use those insights to discuss the obstacles and solutions that may arise during my transition into leadership.

Morgan’s book approaches the problem of defining organizations by outlining various images, or metaphors, for how people understand organizations to function. These range from concrete metaphors, such as organizations as machines or organisms, to abstract concepts, such as psychic prisons. Morgan examines the theories related to each metaphor, and concludes each segment by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each imperfect comparison. Each metaphor prioritizes different theories about human behavior and provides insight to different organizational or managerial problems. By considering these metaphors, Morgan claims, a manager can develop a “diagnostic reading” of a given situation and address problems with an appropriate degree of flexibility (p. 16).

The first Morgan metaphor, of organizations as cult...

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...ent rejection and competition.

As Morgan points out in his introduction, no one metaphor adequately addresses all aspects of organizational behavior or approaches to management. However, by using various metaphorical frameworks as appropriate, I can develop a well-rounded plan for transition that maintains the team’s effectiveness, boosts morale, and cements my leadership authority within the work team and the organization. In addition, Morgan’s metaphor approach also provides a useful framework for spotting possible problems and pitfalls, whether they are from human nature, organizational politics, or team inertia rooted in a comfortable common culture.

Works Cited

Rainey, H.G. (2003). Understanding and managing public organizations (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Morgan, G. (1986). Images of organization. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.