Metaphor and Organizations

Metaphor and Organizations

by David Grant (Author), Cliff Oswick (Series Editor), David Grant (Editor), Cliff Oswick (Series Editor), David Grant (Editor), Clifford Oswick (Author)

Synopsis

Metaphors are, according to Gareth Morgan `a way of thinking and a way of seeing'.

The use of metaphor underpins the expectations, behaviour and strategies governing all aspects of organizational life. Written by a team of internationally renowned scholars, this collection of critical essays analyzes the role of metaphor in the theory of organizations.

The book extends existing debates concerning metaphor and the study of organizations, and also generates new concepts and theories in the field. The introduction shows how metaphors work and familiarizes the reader with key areas of debate concerning their use. Part One considers the role of metaphor in creating new theories of organization and in reinterpreting existing theories. Parts Two and Three go beyond the theoretical context, to examine the use of metaphor in our organizational experience. Part Two explores metaphor in organizational discourse and language, showing how the construction of different metaphors can provide powerful tools with which to manage organizations. Part Three investigates the relevance of metaphors in real organizational situations and how they influence attitudes and behaviour. Finally, Part Four offers an agenda for the function of metaphors in organizational research and suggests new directions that this research might take.

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 268
Edition: 1
Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
Published: 14 Oct 1996

ISBN 10: 0803976305
ISBN 13: 9780803976306

Media Reviews
`This anthology presents some current ideas and controversies on the uses of metaphors in organizational studies and offers a valuable overview of the field. It is composed of eleven papers, framed by a lucid introduction and a concluding summary and suggestions for future research by the editors' - Work, Employment and Society
Author Bio
Cliff joined Cass in 2011. Before coming to Cass he spent 4 years at Queen Mary, University of London as a Professor of Organization Theory in the School of Business and Management and also served as Dean of the Faculty of Law & Social Sciences. He has also previously held posts at University of Leicester (2002-2007), King's College, University of London (1990-2002), and Westminster University (1988-1990). Before becoming a full-time academic in 1988, Cliff worked as a HR manager in local government. Cliff's research interests focus on the application of aspects of discourse, dramaturgy, tropes, narrative and rhetoric to the study of management, organizations, organizing processes, and organizational change. He has published over 120 academic articles and contributions to edited volumes, including contributions to Academy of Management Review, Human Relations, Journal of Management Studies, British Journal of Management, Organization, and Organization Studies. He is the European Editor for Journal of Organizational Change Management, Associate Editor for Journal of Change Management, and co-director of ICRODSC (International Centre for Research on Organizational Discourse, Strategy and Change) which links a network of researchers in several renowned institutions located in the UK, Canada, US, Sweden and Australia