A 'good soldier's tale': The organizational construct of an archetype

This research study enquires into the nature, meaning and impact of the metaphors and associated mythologies that define our organizational life world. Specifically, it explores the essence of the metaphor of 'the good soldier', and its relationship to the social construction of reality, order and meaning during; organizational change. Organizational myths and metaphoric systems have a significant impact on how people behave and interact in organizations, hence results of this study may hold significance for how we understand and move through organizational change. Because of the way organizational theorists have typically explored organizations, there are tacit ekments that have not yet been explored. If we were able to see and describe them, we might be encouraged to do things differently, particularly with respect to how we approach change initiatives. Using the metaphor of 'the good soldier' as an entry point, I have followed a cultural, metaphoric approach to organizational study from both a practical and theoretical perspective, drawing together different traditions of organizational enquiry as a source for expanding our understanding of organizations. 'lh-ough a cultural analysis of classical and popular literature and film and an ethnomethodological case study, this research tracks the metaphor's historic development, drawing out the significant characteristics or thematic patterns and exploring its meaning in an organizational context with respect to these patterns.