Mosaic Metaphor of Organizations

Abstract

The metaphor, mosaic, is presented as an aid to organizational leaders by providing an immediate mental image and framework for grasping the complexity of organizational change and diversity. This dissertation describes, explores, and analyzes the machine, organism, and mosaic metaphors of organizations in relation to the environment and diversity, organizational structure, management and leadership theory, and emotion, motivation, power, and relationships. Organizations have evolved from traditional hierarchies and transactional leadership represented by the machine metaphor to matrix structures and participative leadership represented by the organism metaphor, and to flatter structures and transformational leadership represented by the mosaic metaphor. There is however no one best structure, management or leadership theory and style, or organizational metaphor.