Monday, May 16, 2011

What does an organization in disarray mean?

The BBC reported the following today:

The arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn over charges of sexual assault has thrown the International Monetary Fund (IMF) into disarray.

What does it mean for an organization to be in disarray? Or in turmoil? If I were to walk by the IMF today would I see the signs of disarray? Or turmoil (or whatever word the press chooses to describe)? Disarray means disorder or confusion, which in an organizational setting would mean that the IMF does not really know how to act or acts erratically.

If the press describes an organization as being in turmoil or in disarray can an employee of that organization also make the same claim? “Geez, boss I can’t really work today because our company is in disarray.”

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