The Organizational Double Bind: Toward an Understanding of Rationality and Its Complement

Potential effects of the rational model of human behavior on organization members are examined. The rational model stresses cognitive aspects of human activities while de-emphasizing affective processes. It is hypothesized that if certain members attempt to integrate cognitive and affective components of their thoughts and behavior, organizational rationality may prohibit them from realizing complete integration as they may display maladaptive behavioral tendencies that have debilitating effects on their working and non-working lives. The integrated model is introduced which posits that affective processes may be legitimized by introducing organizational norms, drawn from the theory of play, that allow limited arational activity.