Mechanism of Hope Maintaining the Dream of the Rational Organization

Western culture is a culture of hope. This book explains how great hopes can be kept afloat in the face of discouraging experiences. The book analyzes how managers and other organization members can maintain their hope for the rational organization, even though they and others have failed to attain it. Hope gives rise to stability. There has been a long tradition in organization theory of questioning the realism and usefulness of the rational ideal, but hope keeps this ideal alive. By applying various "mechanisms of hope," managers and others can continue to hope for the rational organization and continue their attempts at reform.