Shaozhong Liu

Metaphors we make sense by

A speech act theory study of metaphors in organizational mission statements

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This study explores metaphors we use to make sense of organizational reality. One hundred thirty-two mission statements collected across the University of North Carolina system comprise the textual source of analysis. Austin and Searle s speech act theory is employed to intertextually identify metaphors, which are then analyzed in line with Weick s framework of sensemaking. Elements of the sensemaking process are evidenced in hierarchical metaphors: (i) environment-screening: environment as change (organizations as positioned, time-pacer, and wind-catcher); (ii) enactment: enactment as changer (the university as a plate of loose sand, professional, and mission-setter); (iii) selection: organization as relevance-maker (the university as teacher, researcher, server, strategist, and goal-hitter); (iv) retention: organization as retainer (the university as value-keeper and role-player (center, community, leader, and leader-preparer); and (v) remembering: organization as rememberer (the university as history-defender and principle-observer). Together, they comprise metaphors we make sense by.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Scholar's Press
• Seitenzahl: 264
• Erscheinungstermin: 11. März 2014
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 220mm x 150mm x 16mm
• Gewicht: 367g
• ISBN-13: 9783639712568
• ISBN-10: 3639712560
• Artikelnr.: 40713686

Autorenporträt

Shaozhong Liu, Ph.D. in pragmatics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; Professor, Linguistics & Applied Linguistics, and Founding Dean, College of Foreign Studies, Guangxi Normal University; Visiting Professor, Wake Forest University & Guilford College; Director, Program in Chinese Studies, University of North Carolina-Greensboro.