Organizational DNA

Organizational DNA can be defined as a metaphor that is used to describe the essence of an organization’s identity. It is not a concrete concept with a widely shared definition, but instead, it has had different meanings attributed to it. As metaphors offer a wide range of entailments and can even create new meaning, the biologistic DNA metaphor theorizes about structural processes and relations in organizations, for example, in the field of decision making, innovation, or crises. The genetic associations convey the idea that organizations have underlying, predetermined mechanisms that cannot easily be manipulated; however, once they are, the organization itself is fundamentally changed. Accordingly, the term organizational DNA is widely applied to help organizations conduct organizational change and adapt to external challenges. This entry ...