Understanding Gareth Morgan’s metaphors from Images of Organization
Morgan published Images of Organization in 1986 after years of studying organisational theory, systems thinking, and social philosophy. His aim was not to offer a single new theory, but to show that all organisational theories rely on metaphor, whether they admit it or not. He saw that managers and consultants often behaved as if there were one “correct” lens for understanding organisations. Morgan believed that this limited their ability to diagnose issues, innovate, and adapt.
So he wrote the book to help people:
Recognise the hidden assumptions that shape how they interpret organisations.
Understand that no single model is sufficient on its own.
Use multiple metaphors to surface insights that would otherwise remain invisible.
Become more reflective and less mechanistic in their thinking.
His purpose was both analytical and developmental. He wanted to increase cognitive flexibility in leaders and theorists.
Morgan argued that the metaphors represent deep cognitive frames that people unconsciously use to make sense of organisational life. For example:
When someone thinks of the organisation as a “machine”, they expect control, predictability, and standardisation.
When someone sees it as an “organism”, they prioritise adaptation and survival.
When someone sees it as a “psychic prison”, they focus on the unconscious forces that trap thought and behaviour.
Morgan believed these images already exist in people’s thinking and shape their interpretations, decisions, and actions. He showed how each metaphor brings certain things into focus while hiding others. In other words, the metaphors:
Reveal the worldview a manager already holds.
Explain why two people can see the same situation differently.
Help people understand their own biases and blind spots.
Morgan intended the metaphors to be deliberate tools for inquiry, not only descriptions of internal thinking patterns. He encouraged readers to use metaphorical language consciously because it:
Opens alternative interpretations.
Sparks creative thinking.
Makes complex organisational dynamics easier to explore.
Helps leaders ask better questions.
Supports innovation, design, and transformation.
Metaphorical language is not decorative in Morgan’s view. It is diagnostic and strategic. By intentionally switching metaphors, people can:
Reframe problems.
Surface hidden dynamics.
Develop new solutions.
Reveal cultural assumptions.
Challenge old patterns.
So the metaphors are both descriptive (this is how people see the world) and prescriptive (use these lenses more consciously).