Metaphor represents a valuable tool when applied in revealing problems and developing future perspectives of organizational changes by providing non-literal meaning to the existing situation (Morgan, 2006). So they can be used for the benefit of organizations. Understanding the metaphor “organizations as psychic prisons” is essential for managers in facilitating changes and shaping the reality of their firm. This paper examines the phenomenon of psychic prisons and what it implies for organizations.
In his book “Images of Organization” Morgan (1986) uses psychic prison metaphor to define the “predicament of human beings as prisoners of their thoughts and actions”. This metaphor presents organizations as socially created realities which appear out of unconscious preoccupations of organizational members (Morgan, 1986). So the metaphor itself explains how organization and its members risk being captured by the typical way of thinking and being limited in their decisions,what leads them to psychic prison mentality.
Taking into consideration theories of such researches as Jung, Freud, Becker and others, it is assumed that people develop realities and unconscious behavior, which is reflected in organizations (Morgan, 2006). By understanding psychic prison metaphor, managers can recognize unconscious projections, for example, phenomenons of “groupthink” and “game-playing”, which often occur in organizations nowadays.
Members of organization while interacting play unconscious games which each other. By adopting game role of Victim, Rescuer or Persecutor people tend to act in the way they are accustomed to, what keeps them trapped in their pattern of behavior (Morgan, 1986). I believe, in order to build successful relationships in organization managers need to identify these patterns of behavior and stop them.
Another concept of psychic prison metaphor is connected with groupthink (Morgan, 1986). Groupthink appears in cohesive groups when concurrence-seeing is prevailing over realistic assessment of alternative variants of action. In this case, individuals become trapped in their way of thinking dominant in this group, while their critical thinking is suppressed. To my mind, to avoid negative affects of groupthink on making decisions members' group roles should be defined and critical thinking should be accepted.
Having analyzed the meaning of psychic prison metaphor for organizations, it is important to acknowledge that there arise problems in organizations that are not able to manage their organizational reality. Manager should recognize the existing unconscious behavior of individuals and groups, and undertake the necessary changes within organization better to adopt to the environment.
References
Morgan, G. (2006). Images of organization. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Morgan, G.(1986). Images of Organization. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Morgan, G. (1989). Creative organization theory: a resourcebook. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Plato (360 B.C.E.). The Allegory of the Cave. In The Republic (Book VII). Retrieved from:http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/platoscave.html
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