ABSTRACT
William H. Whyte's The Organization Man remains a part of popular debate today in both business and urban planning literature. The Organization Man is a relevant critique on workplace dynamics and employee motivation. Whyte has been criticized because he assumed the shift from Protestant to Social Ethic was permanent. The Organization Man reminds us how easily social critics can confuse passing cultural moments with permanent transformations. But it also provides an antidote to the nostalgia for postwar corporatism. Several recent critics argue that Whyte was misunderstood and that the "scathing criticisms" were not criticisms at all, but in-depth, mostly objective accounts of the trends developing around him. Just as Whyte did, authors continue to seek insight into the generation-defining motivations and behaviors of the current workforce. While some critics see today's employee as a stark contrast to Whyte's Organization, others develop a more nuanced critique.
