organization man

British  

noun

1. a person who subordinates his personal life to the demands of the organization he works for

2. a person who specializes in or is good at organization

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organization man ¹ Cultural  

1. Someone who subordinates his personal goals and wishes to the demands of the corporation or a similar large organization for which he works; a conformist. The term comes from the book The Organization Man, by William H. Whyte. (See also bureaucracy, bureaucrat, and conformity.)

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organization man ² Cultural  

1. Someone who represses individual desires and molds behavior to conform to the demands of the organization he or she works for. (See also bureaucracy, bureaucrat, and conformity; see also under “Business and Economics.”)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

organization man

That’s a long way from the organization man, much less from John R. Lee’s ideal worker, “who has no fear for the necessities of life.”

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

“All his teammates, everyone within the organization, man, we’re all pulling for him,” Ham said of James’ pursuit of becoming the all-time scoring leader.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2023

Steadied by 66-year-old manager Brian Snitker, an organization man for four decades, the underdog Braves won the franchise’s fourth title.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 2, 2021

He has also been careful to avoid direct conflicts with other members of Mr. Trump’s Big Five leadership team, especially the ascendant Mr. Kushner, focusing instead on positioning himself as Mr. Trump’s indispensable organization man.

From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2017

Mr. Morton said he would accept if Senator Conkling was willing to agree to it, and that he would not act without the senator's acquiescence, as he was an organization man.

From My Memories of Eighty Years by Depew, Chauncey M. (Chauncey Mitchell)