Metaphor and Analogical Reasoning in Organization Theory: beyond Orthodoxy

Oswick, Cliff; Keenoy, Tom; Grant, David

doi:10.2307/4134356

Cited by 233 publications

(234 citation statements)

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“…The metaphor enriches the concept firm by blending it with the more concrete mechanical behaviours witnessed from mechanical devices (Oswick et al 2002). It is through such associative movement that metaphors offer clarity by creating sufficient flexibility for multiple interpretations, ways of seeing, conceptualising and understanding phenomena (Tsoukas, 1993).…”

Section: The Role Of Metaphor In Theorisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carnap's logical positivism and the urge to protect 'truth' from non-verifiable knowledge claims, find metaphor imprecise, ambiguous, difficult or impossible to falsify, and hence unsuitable for conducting scientific investigation (Bourgeois and Pinder 1983;Oswick et al 2002). Metaphors, being figurative and rhetorical combinations of concepts, do not stipulate meaning (as equivalences do in logic, or laws in scientific practice) but carry it, and these carried meanings remain inexact and potentially misleading if invoked by scientific practice (Ortony 1994).…”

Section: The Role Of Metaphor In Theorisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Re-imagining the growth process: (co)-evolving metaphorical representations of entrepreneurial growth

Clarke

Holt

Blundel

2014

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development

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We investigate the role and influence of the biological metaphor 'growth' in studies of organizations, specifically in entrepreneurial settings. We argue that we need to reconsider metaphorical expressions of growth processes in entrepreneurship studies in order to better understand growth in the light of contemporary challenges, such as environmental concerns.Our argument is developed in two stages: first, we review the role of metaphor in organization and entrepreneurship studies. Second, we reflect critically on three conceptualizations of growth that have drawn on biological metaphors: the growing organism, natural selection and co-evolution. We find the metaphor of co-evolution heuristically valuable but under-used and in need of further refinement. We propose three characteristics of the co-evolutionary metaphor that might enrich our understanding of entrepreneurial growth: relational epistemology; collectivity; and multidimensionality. Through this we provide a conceptual means of reconciling an economic impetus for entrepreneurial growth with an environmental imperative for sustainability.

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Section: The Role Of Metaphor In Theorisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Role Of Metaphor In Theorisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-imagining the growth process: (co)-evolving metaphorical representations of entrepreneurial growth

Clarke

Holt

Blundel

2014

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development

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“…However, the role of analogy in shaping institutional design has not been explored in depth. Tropes like simile, analogy and metaphor can help gather political support and legitimacy, but they also lead to analytical closure (Oswick, Keenoy and Grant 2002). Remaining within the confines of a clearly defined analogy cannot lead to evolution to profoundly different institutions (Hoffman and Ventresca 1999).…”

Section: We Study Institutional Entrepreneurship In An Emergent Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In organization theory, these ideas have generated a debate on the role of metaphors and analogical thinking in the process of generating novel ideas on organization and organizing (Cornelissen, 2005;Gavetti, Levinthal and Rivkin 2005;Morgan, 1980;Oswick et al, 2002;Tsoukas, 1993;Weick, 1989). An important insight from this debate is the suggestion that an emphasis on similarities between domains engendered by analogies and metaphors might be "intuitively conservative and, thus, cognitively prescriptive rather than liberating" (Oswick et al 2002: 298).…”

Section: The Role Of Analogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Metaphors can encompass the whole range of similarities in attributes and relationships (Gentner, 1989;Tsoukas, 1993), albeit implicitly rather than explicitly and not based on direct comparison ("Boiling mad"). While precise definitions and formulations have been widely debated, the underlying insight is that "analogical reasoning" (Oswick et al 2002: 294) helps us solve problems by providing inferences based on similarity between the target domain in which the problem is embedded and a source domain with which we are familiar.In organization theory, these ideas have generated a debate on the role of metaphors and analogical thinking in the process of generating novel ideas on organization and organizing (Cornelissen, 2005;Gavetti, Levinthal and Rivkin 2005;Morgan, 1980;Oswick et al, 2002;Tsoukas, 1993;Weick, 1989). An important insight from this debate is the suggestion that an emphasis on similarities between domains engendered by analogies and metaphors might be "intuitively conservative and, thus, cognitively prescriptive rather than liberating" (Oswick et al 2002: 298).…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Role of Analogy in the Institutionalization of Sustainability Reporting

Etzion

Ferraro

2010

Organization Science

335

319

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We study institutional entrepreneurship in an emergent field by analyzing the case of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and its efforts to purposefully institutionalize the practice of sustainability reporting. We suggest that analogies affect institutionalization processes through two mechanisms. In early stages of institutionalization, analogy operates primarily as a normative mechanism and adoption is driven mainly by an instrumental logic. This emphasis on similarity to existing institutions stresses conformity and promotes legitimacy. Yet, analogies can also have a cognitive effect on institutional design, especially once initial acceptance from the environment has been secured, by directing attention towards incongruences between the emergent institution and its analogical source. Institutional entrepreneurship can spur innovation and departure from existing institutions by highlighting limitations of the analogical source and providing a compelling value-rational argument underscoring the worth of the new institution. This theoretical contribution helps explain how analogies to existing institutional practices can both provide legitimacy to novel institutions and constitute the basis for a creative process of institutional design.3 Institutional entrepreneurship is a delicate balancing act between two conflicting tasks. On the one hand institutional entrepreneurs must disguise the radical nature of their enterprise in order to engage supporters and evade the wrath of incumbents, while on the other they cannot adhere too closely to existing practices, for by doing so, they will not be able to further any meaningful change (Aldrich and Fiol 1994). Institutional entrepreneurs need to become skilled cultural operatives, fashioning stories in order to attract resources. In this work it is essential to "balance the need for legitimacy by abiding by societal norms about what is appropriate with efforts to create unique identities that may differentiate and is relatively well-studied. However, the role of analogy in shaping institutional design has not been explored in depth. Tropes like simile, analogy and metaphor can help gather political support and legitimacy, but they also lead to analytical closure (Oswick, Keenoy and Grant 2002). Remaining within the confines of a clearly defined analogy cannot lead to evolution to profoundly different institutions (Hoffman and Ventresca 1999). Furthermore, the analogy cannot be discarded at later stages (Ocasio and Joseph 2005) when deeper institutional change is being advocated, as cognitive lock-in has already limited external constituents' receptivity to alternative scenarios. How, then, do analogies shape the construction and evolution of proto-institutions? 4In this article we address the role of analogies in institutional change by presenting a longitudinal case-study of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and its strategies to promote and institutionalize sustainability reporting practices. GRI, a non-profit organization headquartered in Amsterdam, ...

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Metaphor

Gubbins

Andriessen

2015

Wiley Encyclopedia of Management

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An agreed definition of metaphor does not appear to exist, with agreement only for a more general description of metaphor where metaphor is described as carrying meaning from one domain to another. Metaphors are argued to enable us to fill gaps in our language and transfer meaning by utilizing a metaphor which fits the characteristics of the concept that we wish to highlight. Metaphors are argued to add new meanings to both the source and target concepts. However, metaphors only generate partial truths as not every aspect of the metaphor in use transfers to the concept being described. For example, the man is a lion emphasizes the lion‐like aspects of man but does not suggest that the man is a lion.

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Metaphor and Analogical Reasoning in Organization Theory: beyond Orthodoxy

Cited by 233 publications

References 31 publications

Re-imagining the growth process: (co)-evolving metaphorical representations of entrepreneurial growth

Re-imagining the growth process: (co)-evolving metaphorical representations of entrepreneurial growth

The Role of Analogy in the Institutionalization of Sustainability Reporting

Metaphor

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