Ways of using metaphors we have identified six ways of using metaphors for organizational improvement. Diverse and often unacknowledged assumptions underlie the use of metaphors in the organizational change literature. Hypothesises that the use of metaphors is part of the explanation. Embodied transformative metaphors and narratives in. I dont believe that you can make a wholesale change of all that you have been, and replace it with something shiny and new. An organizational metaphor is a figurative comparison that is, a metaphor, simile, or analogy used to define the key aspects of an organization andor explain its methods of operation. The tone of these critiques is illustrated by the obvious pleasure the authors of the witch docorganizational change and development 363 annu. Organisational metaphors and culture change ih consulting. Organisational metaphors are a great way to perceive of organisational behaviour. The use of multiple and adaptive metaphors allowed a wide range for action in that particular case. Nov, 2019 an organizational metaphor is a figurative comparison that is, a metaphor, simile, or analogy used to define the key aspects of an organization andor explain its methods of operation. May 17, 20 the purpose of this paper is to describe how a phenomenological approach can help to understand embodied dimensions and compare different and shared qualities, functions and potential, as well as ambivalences and limitations of metaphors and stories in organisations. Theories of organizational change based on the process.
In social systems we only have weak models no strong. Culture change in the queensland public sector 16 3. Sep 24, 2012 rather than culture change, i prefer the concept of culture shift. The political metaphors recognises the important role that power play, competing interests and conflict have in organisational. Nov 26, 2017 in this video i am focusing on recognising the underlying culture in your business. The orthodox reading draws on the modernist paradigm which assumes that organisational change. In making sense of change management cameron and green, 2004 we drew upon morgans 1986 book, images of organization to suggest that we can view organizations in four different ways and those different ways can lead us towards a greater understanding of organizational dynamics and what might or might not work when it comes to trying to change the organization. Recommendations and conclusion forms the last part of the paper.
Embodied transformative metaphors and narratives in organisational lifeworlds of change. As difficult as the term organizational culture may be to define, it is a very real forceone that any change agent ignores at great peril. Using metaphors to explain and shape organisational culture. Changing organisations with metaphors emerald insight. Lifecycle theories regulated change this theory adapts the metaphor analogy of organic growth to organizational context as a tool permits us to explain different stages of development. Culture is too deep, too embedded, too much in your organizational. Metaphors and theory building in organization theory. The organisation can be changed to an agreed end state by those in positions of authority there will be resistance and this needs to be managed change can be executed well if it well planned and well controlled organisations as political systems. Culture is too deep, too embedded, too much in your organizational dna. Human cognitive processing is largely metaphorical in that people tend to group things together as such. Gareth morgans organisational metaphors perspectives on organisations our interpretations of organisations are always based on some sort of theory to explain reality morgan. Metaphors that facilitate organisational understanding.
Comments on organizational metaphors morgan 1986 a number of metaphors that have been proposed for understanding organizations. Part 1 draws extensively on the ideas of gareth morgan, a pioneer in the use of metaphor to read, analyse and facilitate organisations to change. The role of metaphors in organization transformation. Images of organization gareth morgan talking about. The long tail and the strength of weak ties are both metaphors that suggest that the sum of all small things in a social network can together be more powerful than the few strong things in. As a result, cognitive scientists have since discovered things about the nature and. Comprehensibility the ease with which a metaphor is understood the degree to which people can readily understand the metaphorical comparison of a source to a target katz 1989, 1992 metaphors and theory building in organization. The ship metaphor explains why we welcome newcomers on board and talk about running a tight ship. Pdf embodied transformative metaphors and narratives in. Aims to consider what the best metaphor or set of metaphors might be in the organizational change process. This is important especially if you want to make a change in direction or wish to build your business rapidly. Story, metaphor and the management of organisational change. For example, notions of stability, dissipation, entropy, and other physics ideas are used.
Pdf music as a metaphor for organizational change john. Gareth morgan proposed eight metaphors of organizations that explain the elements of an organization in a metaphorical way and give us insight, but also prohibit us from seeing certain things about an organization visser, 2010. This diversity is symptomatic of broader ontological and epistemological conflicts within organization theory. We can consider three additional types of organizational change processes. Using metaphors as part of your change initiatives. By dr nick barter structured abstract purpose the challenge in this paper is that the in using machine and organism metaphors a story is being perpetuated.
Each has its own characteristics and associated change. Managing the metaphors of change based on the above discussion, the following ideas summarized in exhibit 4 offer some specifics to consider when dealing with organizational change. The impact of metaphors in ot what is the impact of metaphors on ot. We conclude season 4 with one of our most ambitious efforts, tackling gareth morgans classic book images of organization, originally published in 1986. This lengthy and detailed volume synthesizes an incredible range of organization theories and concepts over the previous century and presents them under the umbrella of eight distinct metaphors. Likewise, several weak models can be more powerful than one strong model. Questions about change can be posed directly, as when we wonder whether religious observance is declining in america, or try to explain why large corporations. Mar 09, 20 organizational metaphors help people to see, manage, and understand everything we need to know about an organization. Using metaphors to explain and shape organisational culture the expression organisational culture was for the first time used by pettigrew in the late 1970s pettigrew, 1979, ever since a number of. Organizations as machines, organizations as conversations two core metaphors and their consequences anthony l. Asee 2014 zone i conference, april 35, 2014, university of. The role of metaphors in organization transformation sonja. As difficult as the term organizational culture may be to define, it is a very real forceone that any change. When the change strategy was shifted to also explain the underlying logic, rationale, and factors and forces driving the change, tempers finally abated.
Illustrations are given for both kinds of metaphors, and the argument is substantiated with examples from a case study about an organization transformation. Sep 08, 2018 a communication strategy that we find helps in explaining organisational culture is to employ figurative language. Putting metaphors to work for change in organizations. Organisational metaphors are a great way to perceive organisational behaviour. Oct 19, 2011 the long tail and the strength of weak ties are both metaphors that suggest that the sum of all small things in a social network can together be more powerful than the few strong things in the network. International public and private sector examples of culture management 16 3.
A deductive approach was taken to the quantitative element of this study, analysing the data to establish whether the data support the hypothesis that exploring metaphorical representations of experiences of organisational change would increase wellbeing or whether a null hypothesis of no effect was demonstrated. Pay careful attention to how you and others describe, verbally and in writing, the change in question. Explaining organisational culture with metaphors and analogies. In this article, you will find a few examples of how using analogies, metaphors and similes can be used when explaining organisational culture to new employees. This type of change is known as emergent change burnes, 2009a. Reaching for the new and how machine and organism metaphors do not enable sustainable development. Rather than culture change, i prefer the concept of culture shift. The organisation can be changed to an agreed end state by those in positions of authority. Many ideas about organisations and management are based on a small number of taken for granted beliefs and assumptions.
Presents examples of metaphor use in the project and documents a steady decline in numbers and severity of accidents over time. People exercise that freedom in service to the organization and, as they develop their capacity to respond and change, this becomes a capability of the whole organization. Metaphors and paradigms in change management tutorial 05. The toughest challenge of organizational leaders today is to manage at the speed of change. Organizational metaphors provide information about the value system of a company and about employers attitudes toward their customers and employees. Organizations as machines, organizations as conversations. While severalmusical metaphors havebeenutilizedin organization. It is an appealing metaphor, especially when management is confronted with circumstances with they believe require organization change.
A metaphor for organizational culture evergreen leadership. Draws on a consultancy project designed to reduce accident rates in four danish sugar factories. Think of a dynamically stable whirlpool or eddy in a flowing stream, and you get this one. One factor contributing to the limited success of organizational change. Contrast the calm waters and whitewater rapids metaphors for change.
You might shift parts of your culture, or shape it, though. Morgan suggested eight different metaphors, each of which provides a different way of thinking about organizations, seeing the organization. The alps model of change management using a metaphor to clarify culture can help a change agent identify the leverage points for a successful transition. Dysfunctional politics can sink an organization, and yet most of the executives i teach react with distaste to the idea of being a savvy organizational politician. This article offers two contrasting readings of the business novel our iceberg is melting. Metaphor creation appears to be a timeless process that has been traced back to the time of egyptian hieroglyphics trim, 2007. Part 1 draws on the ideas of gareth morgan, a pioneer in the use of metaphor to read, analyse and facilitate organisations to change part 2 shows how a new approach, symbolic modelling, uses clientgenerated metaphors to facilitate individuals to understand and change themselves and their organisations. Cognitive linguists concluded that the same mechanisms used to create metaphors. In contrast, change sometimes unfolds in an apparently spontaneous and unplanned way lewin, 1947. Emergence of change metaphors the second issue concerns whether change metaphors are treated as emerging because they are acts of pure creativity evocative and suggestive of new ways of operating or because they reflect dominant organizational interests.
Each of the eight metaphors that morgan presents in his book incorporates a group or cluster of organizational theories, as described below. Advanced search changing organisations with metaphors. Oct 01, 2001 proposes that consultants use images, stories, narratives, and fairy tales to a larger degree and put less weight on formal conceptual learning when change is the issue. Describe what change variables are within a managers control. Two sample grove case studies highlight client organizations employing strong metaphors for change processes. Evolutionary critical theory, metaphor, and organizational. Here i comment on morgans treatment from a dooyeweerdian point of view morgan suggested eight different metaphors, each of which provides a different way of thinking about organizations, seeing the organization. Pan macmillan, which was written to advocate kotters approach to organisational change management. Exploring metaphorical representations of organisational change. It highlights some of the same aspects of organizations as the organism metaphor, but in different ways. Questions about change can be posed directly, as when we wonder. The machine metaphor encompasses such theories as taylors scientific management, webers bureaucracy and views of organizations that emphasize closed systems, efficiency and mechanical features of organizations. We often find ourselves trying to describe our organisations as part of the discourse associated with.
Music as a metaphor for organizational change article pdf available in journal of organizational change management 203. Our typology is derived from our own expe rience as organizational change agents and. Organizational metaphors operate in the background but they can strongly determine how we think about organizations and affect how we work and make decisions. Pdf music as a metaphor for organizational change saku.
Metaphors and paradigms in change management tutorial 05 may. It is good to be aware of how they shape our thinking. Apr 22, 2016 5 organisational metaphors to facilitate change. To gain a critical awareness of the assumptions underlying their use of metaphors, organizational analysts can use a reflexive approach. Metaphors of change the fix and maintain imagery described above, while frequently encountered, is hardly the only metaphor of organizational change.