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Management Theory of Gareth Morgan

Geraldine McGowan
Feb 21, 2010

Use Morgan's management theories to break through organizational stagnation

Gareth Morgan is an internationally-known author, consultant and keynote speaker for his management theory. Morgan's management theories are based on several concepts with creative sounding names: "imaginization," "the 15% concept" and "managing paradox," to name three. He uses images and metaphors to create resourceful ways of operating and producing.

The management theory of Gareth Morgan is based on the requisite need for a new mind set (also the name of his consulting group). Gareth Morgan's theory of organization concedes that the extraordinary changes in business brought on by technology require a different way of looking at management problems and addressing new kinds of management problems.

1. Much of Morgan's theory is based on metaphors of the machine, the living organism, the learning organization, complexity, chaos and flux.

2. Morgan does not believe there is an ideal organization. Although organizations are becoming decentralized, there are still needs for hierarchical structures—in his example, a fire department.

3. Organizations are cultures, which Morgan would like to be learning cultures. However, again there is a caveat: under certain circumstances, organizations would be like the fire department, and that is the contingency mode of this theory.

Find out more about Morgan's management theories

Gareth Morgan's creativity in words and understanding are part and parcel of his creative organization theory.

Get a consultant who uses Gareth Morgan management theories

Corporations can be trapped in a psychic prison where everything is conditioned on responding to the same images over and over again. But this isn't recognized within the organization itself. Getting management help from someone based in Morgan's theories can open windows of opportunity you've never imagined.

Recognize the far-reaching influence of Gareth Morgan

Gareth Morgan theories are far-reaching. Gareth Morgan theories can be applied to numerous types of situations.
  • There are many different aspects of the Gareth Morgan theory. Realize that there is an essential flexibility to his insights into organization that is useful in nearly any situation.
Image Credit: Prostock-Studio / Getty Images
Geraldine McGowan