Mitigating Organizational Contradictions: The Role of Mediatory Myths

Abstract

This article examines the role of mediatory myths in mitigating ideological contradictions of organizations, explaining the nature of such contradictions and how myths act as frameworks for understanding and addressing complex reality. Case study analyses are provided of four community mental health centers in North Carolina involved with outpatient commitment. Data were collected over two years through observation, interviews with personnel, and medical and court records of clients. The author found that a mediational myth concerning the efficacy of medication operates in these centers, and that this enables participants to perform their work despite contradictory goals of patient liberty versus social control of the mentally ill. These findings expand the concept of the mediatory myth by indicating its role in mitigating contradictions in the environment outside an organization, not just within the organization.

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