Biological metaphor and analogy upon organizational management research within the development of clinical organizational pathology

Abstract

Human body, other animate beings, plants, and organizations are all dynamic and systemic entities. The similarity between living organisms and organizations, especially considering highly evolved organisms such as the human body, is noteworthy. Therefore, whenever an organization fails to accomplish its function and mission, an organizational symptom or disease may be envisaged to have come up; as a result, a variety of organizational symptoms and diseases can be considered. Recent studies have attempted to find analogies between the human body system and a social system such as an organization, to find analogous malfunctions and ailments, in order to enable the introduction of guidelines for the diagnosis of organizational symptoms and diseases, and their remedies and treatments. This paper deals with the concepts of biological metaphor and analogy, which have been present in organizational management for several decades. It attempts to study some subsystems of the human body analogous to the organizational subsystems, and their correspondingly analogous symptoms and diseases. Thus, some treatments and remedies are proposed accordingly, hoping to pave the way for further organizational management research within the development of clinical organizational pathology, based on the concepts of biological metaphor and analogy.

The Enjoyment of Knowledge Sharing: Impact of Altruism on Tacit Knowledge-Sharing Behavior

“…Since individual knowledge sharing in business settings eventually results in positive performance outcomes, such as the company's innovativeness, creativity, and flexibility, it has been a subject of many studies in knowledge management (Obrenovic and Qin, 2014). Literature suggests that it is simplistic to examine the behavior of a single organization in isolation as if it is a unique organism (Cummings and Thanem, 2002;Morgan, 2011;Faghih et al, 2016). As this paper suggests, an organization is rather a web consisting of influences, motivations, behaviors, actions, and reactions of diverse individuals and their dynamic interactions.…”

The anatomy and ontology of organizational power as a fractal metaphor: A philosophical approach

“…Metaphor has extensively used in organization studies (e.g. see Armenakis & Bedeian, 1992;Boxenbaum & Rouleau, 2011;Cafferata, 1982;Carr & Leivesley, 1995;Cassell & Lee, 2012;Cleary & Packard, 1992;Cornelissen, 2006;Cornelissen, Kafouros, & Lock, 2005;Daft & Weick, 1984;Faghih, Bavandpour, & Forouharfar, 2016;Inns, 2002;Kendall & Kendall, 1993;McCourt, 1997;Meyer, 1984;Örtenblad, Putnam, & Trehan, 2016;Palmer & Lundberg, 1995;Putnam, Phillips, & Chapman, 1999;Smith & Turner, 1995;Tohidian & Rahimian, 2019;Van Engen, 2008;Walsham, 1991). According to Faghih et al (2016, p. 3), "Metaphors efficiently simplify the most complex phenomena and issues by putting emphasis on their key qualities.…”

Leadership Evolution for Planetary Health: A Genomics Perspective

“…exchange of energy and environment to maintain equilibrium) [141], the human body with everything connected, such as tissues and organs [10], the organisation as a complex adaptive system [142], and more recently the concept of the organisational ecosystem [143]. As it relates to the evolution metaphors, examples include the concepts of natural selection and adaptation [141] as well as the concept of creating goodness of fit between the organisation and the conditions in their external environment [41]. At the genetic level there is the use of the organisational DNA as well as genes and their unique combination to create functional agility [141].…”

“…As it relates to the evolution metaphors, examples include the concepts of natural selection and adaptation [141] as well as the concept of creating goodness of fit between the organisation and the conditions in their external environment [41]. At the genetic level there is the use of the organisational DNA as well as genes and their unique combination to create functional agility [141]. This use of metaphors can also include biological disease to organisational situations [e.g., corporate nervosa] [144].…”

“…These metaphors refer to evolving organisations to adapt to the changing environment [141], yet the nature of the environment is not explained. One could reasonably assume this refers to the organisational environment that Daft [41] defines as being composed of forces or institutions that surround the organisation and affect performance, operations, and resources.…”