Morgan, G.. (1986/1998/2006), Images of Organization, Los Angeles/Washington DC/Toronto: Sage Publications.

The book Images of Organization by Gareth Morgan gives a breadth-before-depth analysis of organizations through various metaphors. Morgan writes that no single theory or metaphor can fully capture the reality of an organization. Each metaphor highlights certain aspects while excluding others. Therefore, managers must learn to combine multiple perspectives to understand the complexity and paradoxes of organizations.

Metaphors as a Tool for Organizational Analysis

Morgan introduces eight main metaphors, each providing a perspective on how organizations function:

1. Organizations as machines – Efficiency and control are central, but there is little room for flexibility and human involvement.
2. Organizations as organisms – Organizations must adapt to their environment to survive.
3. Organizations as brains – Learning and self-organization are essential for success.
4. Organizations as cultural systems – Shared values, rituals, and beliefs shape dynamics.
5. Organizations as political systems – Power relations and conflicts of interest play a crucial role.
6. Organizations as psychic prisons – Thought patterns and unconscious processes can block innovation and change.
7. Organizations as flux and transformation – Organizations are not static entities but continuously evolving systems.
8. Organizations as instruments of domination – Power and oppression are often hidden but influential forces.

Each metaphor provides insights and helps identify strengths and weaknesses within an organization.

Mechanization and Organizations as Machines

Since the Industrial Revolution, organizations have often been seen as machines. This metaphor emphasizes efficiency, standardization, and control, as reflected in Max Weber’s bureaucratic models and Frederick Taylor’s scientific management principles. While this approach can increase productivity, it also leads to rigidity, alienation, and limited adaptability. Modern methods such as total quality management and team-based work aim to overcome these limitations.

The Organization as an Organism

A more dynamic approach compares organizations to organisms that must respond to their environment to survive. Organizations consist of various subsystems that collaborate and adapt to changing conditions. The theories of Burns and Stalker, as well as Lawrence and Lorsch, show that mechanistic structures are effective in stable environments, while organic structures perform better in turbulent situations. Organizations must internally differentiate and integrate to remain competitive.

Organizations as Brains

Morgan argues that organizations can learn and self-organize, much like the human brain. This idea aligns with the principles of holographic organizations, where information and decision-making are distributed. Learning organizations must not only correct errors (single-loop learning) but also reassess fundamental norms and assumptions (double-loop learning). This requires an open culture that encourages experimentation and critical reflection.

The Influence of Culture within Organizations

Organizations function as cultural systems in which shared values, rituals, and beliefs structure behavior. National and regional cultures influence how organizations operate. For instance, Japanese companies often focus on harmony and collaboration, while American companies emphasize competition and individualism. Corporate culture plays a crucial role in change processes and determines how employees deal with challenges and uncertainty.

Organizations as Political Systems

Power and conflicts of interest are inevitable within organizations. Power dynamics are determined by formal authority, control over resources, and informal networks. Effective leaders understand these dynamics and can constructively use conflicts to drive innovation and change. Organizations can be characterized as autocracies, bureaucracies, technocracies, or democracies, depending on how power and authority are distributed.

Psychological Barriers and Organizations as Psychic Prisons

Many organizations become trapped in their own thinking patterns, hindering innovation and change. Unconscious processes such as groupthink and defensive routines can cause organizations to remain stuck in outdated practices. Change requires awareness of these psychological barriers and the courage to challenge existing assumptions and structures.

Organizations as Flux and Transformation

Change is a continuous process, driven by internal and external forces. Morgan introduces four logics of change:

1. Autopoiesis – Organizations reproduce themselves based on internal structures.
2. Chaos and complexity – Small changes can lead to major transformations (butterfly effect).
3. Circles and feedback loops – Interactions between elements within a system determine dynamics.
4. Dialectics – Tensions between opposing forces lead to transformation.

Effective change requires a combination of strategy, context creation, and experimental approaches.

Organizations as Instruments of Domination

Organizations often serve as mechanisms of control and exploitation, prioritizing profit over human well-being. Whether through harsh working conditions, excessive stress, or job insecurity, employees frequently bear the costs of organizational efficiency. Workaholism, burnout, and occupational hazards are widespread, as companies push individuals to meet relentless performance demands.

Multinational corporations amplify these dynamics on a global scale, leveraging economic and political power to shape markets and policies. Their influence extends beyond the workplace, affecting entire economies and reinforcing social inequalities. While organizations are often seen as neutral or even beneficial entities, their underlying structures frequently favor elite interests at the expense of workers and communities.

The dominance of corporations in forming labor conditions, environmental policies, and global trade creates systemic patterns of exploitation. Resistance, in the form of labor movements and regulations, has historically challenged corporate control. The struggle remains. Understanding organizations as instruments of domination reveals the hidden power structures that define modern work and economic life.

Conclusion 

Images of Organization demonstrates that organizations can't be understood from a single perspective. By using multiple metaphors, managers and researchers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how organizations function and how they can be effectively transformed. Morgan encourages flexible and critical thinking, emphasizing the recognition of complexity and paradoxes within organizations.

The book does not offer simple solutions but serves as a tool for anyone looking to analyze and improve organizations. Its strength lies in the versatility of the metaphors used, making it a resource for academics, managers, and organizational consultants.