C/HR/37. Gareth Morgan writes about organisations as a controller of their employees. Do you consider this to be true? If so why is it true, and through which mechanisms do organisations seek to control their employees? If possible give examples where you feel this may be the case or argue against the overall view that Morgan gives.

This essay explores, by looking at Gareth Morgan's work, whether organisations control their employees, and the mechanisms through which control may be exerted. It first establishes the need for control, before exploring how organisations by definition are a means of controlling employees. Finally it addresses Morgan's work on the types of control present in organisations. This essay shows that there are a number of methods through which organisations seek to control employees depending on both the nature of the organisation, and the environment in which it operates. Of the metaphors outlined by Morgan, the machine approach is shown to exhibit the highest degree of control.