The Display Side of the Organization

The display side of the organization is created through communication and staging to increase acceptance externally and to avoid conflict internally. This chapter highlights parallels between Shakespeare’s theater plays and the dynamic structures of modern companies. The analogy to theater illustrates how relationships, power games, and individual dramas function in organizations. This becomes clear in the staging of general meetings as dramatic settings and the role of impression management. The article offers theoretical insights and suggestions for managers, employees, and organizational developers to better understand the dynamics and challenges within the company. The insight into the world of theater also outlines how the theatrical structure of conflicts, identities, and human relationships in Shakespeare’s works can serve as a mirror for the complexity and human dramas in companies. Appearance becomes “a second reality,” but what works is true.