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

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

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

Ever the good organization man, Lasorda publicly said that O’Malley had offered him the chance to return.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2021

In the clubhouse, a Dodger organization man, Babe Hamburger, offered some counsel.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2020

I said to him that I was a loyal organization man and did not want to quarrel with our leader, Senator Platt.

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