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

“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 is an organization man in a time of disruption, runaway self-esteem and selfie campaigns.

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 2016

For, in a broad way of speaking, nature controls man through his physical organization, whereas through his cultural organization man controls nature.

From Progress and History by Marvin, Francis Sydney