When the organization feels like a prison

Organisational researcher Gareth Morgan believed that we can learn a lot from using metaphors because they allow us to see organisations from different perspectives. A metaphor highlights some aspects of reality, while obscuring others, and thus it challenges us to reflect on how we understand and act in organizations. When we see an organization such as a machine, family, or prison, it becomes easier to detect patterns, dilemmas, and opportunities that we would otherwise overlook. Metaphors therefore serve as learning tools that allow asking new questions and finding alternative solutions.

One of the most unpleasant — but at the same time most thought-provoking — ways to understand organizations is through the image of the organization as a prison. Why jail? Because human beings can become trapped in patterns, systems, and power structures that restrict both freedom and room for action. It is rarely about physical walls, but about invisible frameworks: rules, routines and cultures that bind more than they liberate.

Characteristics of the prison organization

Routines take over for meaning. When the answer to “why do we do this” is “that's how we've always done it,” the rules become more important than the results.
The hierarchy becomes a link. Rolls are cemented, and the impact force of the individual is limited to a minimum.
Stuck career races. Mobility and development are perceived as inaccessible — it is as if one can only move in the cell, but never out.
Cultural Codes. Unspoken norms like “this is how we do it here” serve as grating bars that are rarely challenged.

Norwegian and Nordic examples

The metaphor has gained new relevance through major reforms in the Norwegian public sector. Employees at universities and in correctional services have reported that, following the introduction of streamlining reforms, more rules, detail management and centralization are perceived as invisible grids. Several have described how initiative and autonomy fade when efficiency requirements and procedural management dominate operations, while real participation is lacking. This has led to subcultures of adaptation, lower motivation, and distrust of change projects.

In the maritime industry, the shipyard and shipping industries are particularly highlighted. Here, strict international regulations and extensive control systems mean that employees and middle managers — such as first mate or machinist — feel tied to reporting and paperwork rather than influencing work patterns or development. Research points out that unclear opportunities for initiative and rigid funding arrangements inhibit innovation and can provide the experience of organisational links, particularly in the areas of green shipping and technological transformation.

At the same time, counterexamples exist. Where the maritime sector has been successful with trust-based dialogue and flat organisational forms, employees and managers have been able to open the cell doors together. This is seen in collaborative projects around green shipping and digitalisation, where close interaction allows room for creativity and development — in contrast to the typical bureaucratic barriers.

Why does the prison experience occur?

It often comes out of good intentions. Rules that were supposed to create fairness end up stifling flexibility. Structure that was supposed to ensure predictability solidifies in bureaucracy. Leaders who crave control can subconsciously create a culture of unfreedom. The question becomes: When does structure stop being a support, and when does it become a prison?

Consequences of the organization as a prison

Research shows that humans have basic psychological needs for autonomy, mastery and meaning. When these are not fulfilled, the predictable happens:

Motivation decreases. Employees stop taking initiative, and just do what they have to.
Creativity withers. When there is no room for trial and error, new thinking dies.
Adaptation or escape. Some pull out, others zone tacitly and lose their glow.
Distrust is growing. If it is not perceived as possible to influence, one ceases to believe that it is useful.

Ways out of prison

Fortunately, there are keys that can open the doors:

More autonomy. Confidence, room for action and empowerment provide energy and a sense of responsibility.
Real complicity. Don't just ask for input -- show that they have consequences for decisions.
Sensible regulations. Peel away what only heeds tradition, and keep what actually contributes to fairness and quality.
Culture of learning. Normalize reflection and missteps as part of development.

Reflection Questions for Managers

Which routines and rules in our organization are perceived as supportive, and which may be perceived as unnecessary lattice bars?
How do we empower employees to participate in decisions that affect their daily work?
In what areas can we create more autonomy and trust — without losing quality or safety?
How do we balance the need for structure with the need for learning, creativity and development?

A thought to take with you

The metaphor of the prison is uncomfortable -- and precisely therefore valuable. It forces us to look in the mirror: Are we giving people the freedom to grow, or are we holding them in invisible chains? Start small: ask your team what rule, routine, or process they'd rather change or remove — and show that you're taking the answer seriously. Small adjustments can be the first key to opening the doors.

References

Morgan, G. (2006). Imagens de organización. Sage Publications.

So, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursues: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11 (4), 227-268.

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33 (4), 692-724.

Argyris, C., Schön, D. A. (1996). Organizational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice. Addison-Wesley,

Parker, S. K., Axtell, C. M. (2001). Ver outro vista: Antecedentes e resultados de perspectiva de trabajo. Academy of Management Journal, 44 (6), 1085—1100.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On Depression, Development, and Death. Freeman.

Organizational culture and transformation, UiT (2023).

SINTEF, Industrial development in the maritime industry.

Marfag: Management and organization in the maritime sector.

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