1. The Psychic Prison Metaphor
What is a Psychic Prison?
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A metaphor coined in 1986 by
Organizational Theorist Gareth Morgan
Intended to depict human condition of being trapped in:
• Modes of Thinking; &
• Constructions of Perceived Reality...
...That, at best, offer an “imperfect” grasp of the world...
• People may become “imprisoned”, “confined” or
“controlled” by, or within organizations

2. Plato’s ‘Cave’ Allegory
• First exploration of Psychic Prison metaphor by Greek
Philosopher Plato in his work „The Republic‟ (c. 380 BC)
• Prisoners were chained to an underground cave wall
• They could not move, or view the outside world
• Interpretation of shadows comprised their entire reality
• A liberated prisoner discovered that the world beyond the
shadows was richer, more complex & rewarding
• Upon return to cave, his experiences terrified compatriots
• He could not remain & stagnate
• They could not change or move forward
• They perceived him as “dangerous”

3. The Psychic Prison Metaphor in
Organizational Behaviour
Groupthink
What is Groupthink?
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Defined by Psychologist, Irving Janis in 1952
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Organizational, social & cultural traps that retard problem
solving by preventing recognition of alternate avenues of
thought, discussion & action
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Group illusions of invulnerability, morality & unanimity
foster “assumed consensus” which inhibit expressions of
doubt & engender misguided decision-making

4. Groupthink (examples)
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The Bay of Pigs Invasion Fiasco (1961)
• President Kennedy & his advisors developed illusions
of unanimity & invulnerability; doubts were inhibited &
suppressed
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The Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster (1986)
• After 55 successful missions NASA felt invincible
• Fatally ignored crucial warnings about
faulty equipment
•
Ireland: Ryan Report (2009) & Nyberg Report (2011)
• „National Groupthink‟ implicated as “dissenting voices
on economy & clerical child sex abuses” ignored

5. Organization & The Unconscious
• Psychoanalysts such as Sigmund Freud suggest:
• Much of visible culture reflects “preoccupations &
concerns” of the unconscious psyche
• People become psychic prisoners through repression
of their desires & thoughts
• We may try to understand & interpret these phenomena
across dimensions that include:
• Sexuality
• Family Dynamics
• Mortality
• Anxiety
• Artefacts (Objects & Symbols)
• Shadows & Archetypes

6. Organizations reflected in…
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Repressed Sexuality
Obsessive-compulsive & neurotic traits such as those
personified in Puritan Frederick Taylor directly impacted:
• The Establishment of Formal Organizations
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e. g. armies, religious orders, industrial society, bureaucracies
The Creation of „Scientific Management’
Innovations, ideas, planning & productivity
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Historical replication of Patriarchal systems occurred:
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Family Dynamics
Such Organizations were authoritarian, aggressive &
chauvinistic (negative) or brave, heroic & decisive (positive)
Matriarchal approach now seen as increasingly effective:
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Empowering Organizational trust, creativity & co-operation

7. Organizations impacted by…
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Death & Immortality
• Human beings, aware of the impermanence & vulnerability
of life, use Organizations (through culture) to:
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Search for meaning & permanency
Preserve a sense of belonging & identity
Manage, organize & motivate themselves
Imagine the achievement of immortality through recorded
beliefs, deeds, roles & material objects
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Anxiety
• Childhood development includes persecutory & depressive
phases causing adult maladaptation in Organizations via:
• Dependency: projection of leadership onto unsuitable people
• Pairing: unfulfilled expectancy of Messiah-like figures
• Fight / flight: distorted concepts of enemy / friend / competitor

8. Organizations interpreted through…
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Artefacts
• “Transitional objects” (e. g. toys) & symbolic experiences
help people cope with change. But, over-reliance may:
• Facilitate resistance to progress (e. g. hoarding of objects)
• Block creativity & innovation in Organizations
• Make effective Organizational transition impossible if not
managed correctly (needs voluntary participation & control)
• Shadows & Archetypes
• “Holistic view” of human psyche as emphasized
by Psychiatrist Carl Jung
• Archetypes (patterns & ideas) link the “collective unconscious”
to individuals & perpetuate recurring Organizational themes
• Shadows: repressed & rival instincts of individuals compete to
influence Organizational decision-making

9. Strengths & Limitations
Strengths:
Limitations:
• Assists understanding of
Organizational change
• Releases positive energies for
transformation & integration
• Understands links between
irrational & rational
• Improves holistic approach to
Organizational life
• Recognises ethical dimensions
• Neglects conscious ideological
factors of Organizational life
• Over-emphasizes cognitive
processes
• Encourages “Utopian
speculation”
• “Raises the spectre” of
“Orwellian” manipulation of the
unconscious mind
Conclusion
• The Psychic Prison Metaphor is of complex nature, combining theories
which originate in: * Philosophy * Organizational Theory * Psychiatry
* Psychology * Psychoanalysis * Sociology * Cultural Studies & others
• It may offer profound psychological insights into the nature &
complexity of Organizations both at the unconscious & conscious level