Organism Metaphor of an Organization

Organism Metaphor of an Organization

Introduction

All the organizational theories and management comprises of metaphors or particular images that allows us to understand and visualize conditions in confined traditions. Metaphors develop insights, leads to creativity and they have strengths. However, they also have limitations, and they lead to distortions. Besides, metaphors can create ways of perceiving, but also may block our ways of perceiving. So there is no significant theory that clarifies the point of view. There is no accurate way to organize everything we do.

Images of Organization

According to Morgan (1986) there are eight type of archetypical metaphors of organization which includes; Machines, Organisms, Brains, Cultures, Political Systems, Psychic Prisons, Flux and Transformation, Instruments of Domination.

The organization emphasize on machine metaphor thinking in terms of input and output, profit maximization, mass production and efficiency. Organization prefers re-engineering by computing and measuring everything. This defines the mechanical thinking of an organization which is embedded in our everyday understanding of the organization. This conception makes it difficult for us to think in a new way. To restructure our thinking Morgan seeks to do three things (Lawley,2000);

• Assuming that management and business is based on minor unimportant metaphors. • Exploring various alternative metaphors to promote new thinking

• Using metaphors to analyze and improve the organizational management and design.

Organization as Living Organism

This metaphor allows organizations to view from a Biological view. It defines organizations as living environmental systems which interdependently satisfies various needs. With this metaphor, an organization is considered as sharing the same idea as of a living organism. Wherein to survive, adapt, manage and replicate the organization needs to accept conditions otherwise it will perish (Morgan, 1997). The organizational system must have to adjust with environmental factors which affect the health and prosperity, several organizational species and the relation among ecology and species. Through the point of view as a living being for an organization, people and employees are its lifeblood. Therefore, an organism needs to revitalize and revive itself to survive, or it will decease and perish. While same goes for the company.

Cultural influences on Organizational metaphors

Generally the usage of the metaphors defines the view expressed by the speaker to emphasize on the idea. The idea is to present the object fruitfully to draw attention of the recipients. The scope of the metaphor is used to understand a phenomenon of one element in terms to experience another. In the situation of complexity and obscurity, the metaphors are found to useful to bring clarity in such circumstances. The usage of metaphors is recognized to determine the individuals feeling and image for an organization. The metaphors influence the individual thought and the way they interpret information. Due to which the conflict may appear by holding different metaphor and understanding about organization. Every employee having their own meaning and understanding for the organization does not necessarily lead to adverse conflict but also to imaginary and illustrative fashion.

The metaphors help to identify that beside the customers, staff ...