Magic in Organizing

A Short Historical Overview

The concept of magic, as used in science, has its roots in anthropology, religion, psychology, and philosophy. Initially magic was used to describe an early (primitive) phase of human and societal development in contrast to later phases of religion and science. Then, magic was seen as a particular mode of thought in which attempts were made to control actions, events, and outcomes by faulty reasoning. Over the years, this view of magic has changed, and postreligious scholars have stressed the importance of understanding contemporary phenomena in modern and postmodern society through the lenses of magical practices and religious belief systems. The current view is thus that magic thinking, religious belief systems, and scientific knowledge are not progressive, sequential steps in human and societal development but rather coexisting, overlapping rationalities, each with a profound impact on the ways in which we create our sense of reality and organize and live our lives.

In organization studies, the concept of magic—as well as concepts related to magic thinking and magic practice (mantras, auras, spells, rites, totems, etc.)—has been used extensively over the years. This makes a conceptual overview somewhat problematic, as not only the epistemological but also the ontological foundations vary greatly. It is, however, possible to distinguish four major approaches: magic as a cultural phenomenon, magic as illusionism, magic as a particular experience, and magic as organizing.

Magic as a Cultural Phenomenon

In early organization studies, the term magic was used as a label to describe the “primitive,” “superstitious,” or fundamentally erroneous thoughts and behaviors in organizations. This mainly narrative research tradition often displays amusing, but slightly pejorative, descriptions of similarities between savage or tribal societies and contemporary business life to illustrate the primitive character of contemporary management practice. This approach still prevails in the popular organization and management jargon, and it is also reflected in a skeptical attitude toward magic by contemporary students of organizations, management, and leadership. Examples of this are descriptions of management consultants acting as “witchdoctors,” “shamans,” or “gurus” or treating modern management thinking as “witchcraft.” Another example is the critique of the use of magic for the remystification of society, as, for example, Richard Stevens gives proof of in his book, Technology as Magic: the Triumph of the Irrational.

However, individuals in the organization culture movement of the early 1980s added another dimension to the study of magic phenomena in organizations. With their symbolic view of organizations, they radically opened up the study of organizations to anthropological and ethnological perspectives, which resulted in an interest in concepts more closely related to magical thinking, such as myths, rituals, totems, and spells. This approach has to a great extent contributed to our understanding of the expressive aspects of organizations, such as the creation of organization identity through the use of rites and rituals, strategies as mantras, or the acquisition of auras around products and companies as they travel in different contexts.

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