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

---

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.)

---

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.”)

---

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

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

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)