Chris Argyris's "The Individual and the Organisation: Some Problems of Mutual Adjustment": A Macat Analysis

Argyris’s "The Individual and Organization" is part of a series of essays and books considering how organisations should be run. This essay explores the lack of congruence between the needs and expectations of individual employees and the organisations that employ them.

Grounding his argument in studies on human nature, Argyris highlights that demands of greater independence, an expansion of interests, and re-orientation of goals usually accompany maturation, which is at odds with higher control stemming from formal organisations. This frustration, he contends, is detrimental to productivity, increases the chance of failure and causes conflict.