A good exploration of these metaphors is Gareth Morgan's Images of Organization[1] . To your point, my personal favorite is "Organization as Psychic Prison" - n

A good exploration of these metaphors is Gareth Morgan's Images of Organization[1] . To your point, my personal favorite is "Organization as Psychic Prison" - not in the sense of keeping physically curtailed, but in the sense that it is hard for workers to break out of the memes and processes of an administrative organization. A good summary is here[2]: 1. Machine: an organization is a series of connected parts arranged in a logical order in order to produce a repeatable output 2. Organism: an organization is a collective response to its environment and, to survive, must adapt as the environment changes 3. Brain: an organization is a set of functions designed to process information and learn over time 4. Cultural System: an organization is a mini-society, with its own culture and subcultures defined by their values, norms, beliefs, and rituals 5. Political System: an organization is a game of gaining, influencing, and coordinating power 6. Psychic Prison: an organization is a collection of myths and stories that restrict people’s thoughts, ideas, and actions 7. Instrument of Domination: an organization is a means to impose one’s will on others and exploit resources for personal gains 8. Flux and Transformation: an organization is an ever-changing system indivisible from its environment [1] https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/196016 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/196016 [2] https://academy.nobl.io/gareth-morgan-organizational-metaphors/ https://academy.nobl.io/gareth-morgan-organizational-metapho...