Rlchard Pettlnger

OWEN, H. (1985) MYTH, TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE. PRENTICE HALL

Owen takes the view that there is great potential for stress in the management of change and the uncertainties of the future. In order to address these issues and smooth the path of change, there is a distinctive role of ‘‘myth and ritual’’ in organizational transformation. Owen argues that:
‘‘profound change in the environment which requires equally sweeping organizational change cannot be accomplished by tinker- ing with structure and technology alone. One must look to the depths of an organization that supports the technology and struc- ture in order to facilitate the emergence of new organizational forms.’’
Myths are the stories of group cultures that describe their beginning, continuance, and ultimate goals. These stories are a key part of institu- tional and organizational fabric. To know the myths and legends is to know the institution much more deeply than those who simply study balance sheets and organizational charts.

Organizational myths and legends are good stories that create human, interesting, vital, and dynamic views of the world. Working within particular myths and legends is like living within a good story or film. The difference is ‘‘you cannot put the myth down. A myth not only reflects life, it becomes life.’’

Effective stress management is therefore dependent upon under- standing the human responses and attitudes to their perceptions of the ways in which the organization functions, and the pattern of feelings, as well as behavior, that they adopt.