Organizational values, as a subset of organizational culture, provide behavioral guidelines for employees in organizations. This article proposes that metaphorical imagery can heighten the usefulness of corporate values as guideposts for behavior. The concepts which govern thought also govern everyday action. Metaphor can dominate thought by positioning perception, causing individuals to see some things to the exclusion of others. Managerial implications for the implementation of change are noted, and a process for change is suggested.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ConradC., Ethical Nexus, Ablex Publishing, Norwood, New Jersey, 1993.
2.
ScheinE., Organizational Cultures and Leadership, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1985.
3.
SmircichL., Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis, Administrative Science Quarterly, 28:2, pp. 339–358, 1983.
4.
SatheV., Implications of Corporate Culture: A Manager's Guide to Action, Organizational Dynamics, 12:2, pp. 5–23, 1983.
5.
HaydenF. G., Values, Beliefs and Attitudes in a Sociotechnical Setting, Journal of Economic Issues, 22:2, pp. 415–425, 1988.
6.
DealT. E. and KennedyA. A., Corporate Cultures, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1982.
7.
SalancikG. R. and PfefferJ., A Social Information Processing Approach to Job Attitudes and Task Design, Administrative Science Quarterly, 23, pp. 224–253, 1978.
8.
FrostJ.MooreL. F.LouisM. R.LundbergC. C., and MartinJ., Organizational Culture, Sage, Beverly Hills, California, 1985.
9.
GoldingD., Symbolism, Sovereignty, and Domination in an Industrial Hierarchical Organization, Sociological Review, 27, pp. 169–177, 1979.
10.
SiehlC., After the Founder: An Opportunity to Manage Culture, in Organizational Culture, FrostP. J.MooreL. F.LouisM. R.LundbergC. C., and MartinJ. (eds.), Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, California, pp. 125–140, 1985.
11.
TriceH. and BeyerJ., The Culture of Work Organizations, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1993.
12.
CampbellA. and NashL., A Sense of Mission, Addison-Wesley Publishing, Reading, Massachusetts, 1992.
13.
BeyerJ. and LutzeS., The Ethical Nexus: Organizations, Values, and Decisionmaking, in The Ethical Nexus, ConradC. (ed.), Ablex Publishing, Norwood, New Jersey, pp. 23–45, 1993.
14.
DenisonD. R., Corporate Culture and Organizational Effectiveness, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1990.
15.
Peters and Waterman, In Search of Excellence, Harper & Row, New York, 1982.
16.
PascaleR. T. and AthosA. G., The Art of Japanese Management, Warner Books, New York, 1981.
17.
WilkinsA. L., Organizational Stories as Symbols which Control the Organization, in Organizational Symbolism, PondyL.FrostP.MorganG., and DandridgeT. (eds.), JAI Press, Greenwich, Connecticut, 1983.
18.
LakoffG. and JohnsonM., Metaphors We Live By, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1980.
19.
ManningP. K., Metaphors of the Field: Varieties of Organizational Discourse, Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, pp. 660–671, 1979.
20.
MitroffI. and KilmannR. H., Stories Managers Tell: A New Tool for Organizational Problem Solving, Management Review, 64:7, pp. 18–28, 1975.
21.
DeetzS., Metaphors and the Discursive Production and Reproduction of Organization, in Organizational Communication: Emerging Perspectives, ThayerL. O. (ed.), Ablex, Norwood, New Jersey, 1986.
22.
ClancyJ., The Invisible Powers, D. C. Heath, Lexington, Massachusetts, 1989.
23.
KuhnT., The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1970.
24.
KreftingL. A. and FrostP. J., in Organizational Culture, FrostP. J.MooreL. F.LouisM. R.LundbergC. C., and MartinJ. (eds.), Sage, Beverly Hills, California, pp. 155–168, 1985.
25.
KarathanosP., and RaineyC. M., Metaphorical Imagery: Whipped Cream on the Pie?, Business Education Forum, 49:1, pp. 27–29, 1994.
26.
KarathanosP., Communication Network Analysis and Dysfunctional Organizational Coalition, Management Decision, 32:9, pp. 15–19, 1994.
27.
KarathanosP. and PettypoolD., A Network Approach to Formulating Communication Strategy, The Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 22:1, pp. 95–103, 1992.
