Recontextualizing Anthropomorphic Metaphors in Organization Studies: The Pathology of Organizational Insomnia

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Standard

Recontextualizing Anthropomorphic Metaphors in Organization Studies: The Pathology of Organizational Insomnia. / Schoeneborn, Dennis; Blaschke, Steffen; Kaufmann, Ina Maria.
In: Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol. 22, No. 4, 10.2013, p. 435-450.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Schoeneborn D, Blaschke S, Kaufmann IM. Recontextualizing Anthropomorphic Metaphors in Organization Studies: The Pathology of Organizational Insomnia. Journal of Management Inquiry. 2013 Oct;22(4):435-450. doi: 10.5167/uzh-87735, 10.1177/1056492612448463

Bibtex

@article{bf96c656f0c74014be3bf2e48bb69cde,
title = "Recontextualizing Anthropomorphic Metaphors in Organization Studies: The Pathology of Organizational Insomnia",
abstract = "In this article, the authors discuss critically the use of anthropomorphic metaphors in organization studies (e.g., organizational knowledge, learning, and memory). They argue that, although these metaphors are potentially powerful, because of frequent usage they are at risk of becoming taken for granted and contextually disconnected from their source domain, the human mind. To unleash the heuristic potential of such metaphors, it is necessary to take into account the inherent dynamics and bidirectionality of metaphorical language use. Therefore, the authors propose a methodology for the context-sensitive use of metaphors in organization studies. They illustrate this approach by developing the new metaphor of organizational insomnia, which is informed by recent neuroscientific research on human sleep and its disruptions. The insomnia metaphor provides an alternative way of explaining deficits in organizational knowledge, learning, and memory, which originate in a state of permanent restlessness.",
keywords = "Management studies, organization theory, organizational communication, metaphor, sleep, insomnia",
author = "Dennis Schoeneborn and Steffen Blaschke and Kaufmann, {Ina Maria}",
year = "2013",
month = oct,
doi = "10.5167/uzh-87735",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
pages = "435--450",
journal = "Journal of Management Inquiry",
issn = "1056-4926",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Recontextualizing Anthropomorphic Metaphors in Organization Studies

T2 - The Pathology of Organizational Insomnia

AU - Schoeneborn, Dennis

AU - Blaschke, Steffen

AU - Kaufmann, Ina Maria

PY - 2013/10

Y1 - 2013/10

N2 - In this article, the authors discuss critically the use of anthropomorphic metaphors in organization studies (e.g., organizational knowledge, learning, and memory). They argue that, although these metaphors are potentially powerful, because of frequent usage they are at risk of becoming taken for granted and contextually disconnected from their source domain, the human mind. To unleash the heuristic potential of such metaphors, it is necessary to take into account the inherent dynamics and bidirectionality of metaphorical language use. Therefore, the authors propose a methodology for the context-sensitive use of metaphors in organization studies. They illustrate this approach by developing the new metaphor of organizational insomnia, which is informed by recent neuroscientific research on human sleep and its disruptions. The insomnia metaphor provides an alternative way of explaining deficits in organizational knowledge, learning, and memory, which originate in a state of permanent restlessness.

AB - In this article, the authors discuss critically the use of anthropomorphic metaphors in organization studies (e.g., organizational knowledge, learning, and memory). They argue that, although these metaphors are potentially powerful, because of frequent usage they are at risk of becoming taken for granted and contextually disconnected from their source domain, the human mind. To unleash the heuristic potential of such metaphors, it is necessary to take into account the inherent dynamics and bidirectionality of metaphorical language use. Therefore, the authors propose a methodology for the context-sensitive use of metaphors in organization studies. They illustrate this approach by developing the new metaphor of organizational insomnia, which is informed by recent neuroscientific research on human sleep and its disruptions. The insomnia metaphor provides an alternative way of explaining deficits in organizational knowledge, learning, and memory, which originate in a state of permanent restlessness.

KW - Management studies

KW - organization theory

KW - organizational communication

KW - metaphor

KW - sleep

KW - insomnia

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883355433&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/4ce14452-c292-3938-9319-5329d1429ea1/

U2 - 10.5167/uzh-87735

DO - 10.5167/uzh-87735

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 22

SP - 435

EP - 450

JO - Journal of Management Inquiry

JF - Journal of Management Inquiry

SN - 1056-4926

IS - 4

ER -

DOI

Recently viewed

Activities

  1. Knowledge Spaces
  2. Workshop „Meta-Image Day 2012”
  3. Liquidity, Flows, Circulation: The Cultural Logic of Environmentalization (2nd part) 2021
  4. Language Learning in Blended-Learning Projects: Moodle, Web 2.0, and Learner Agency
  5. Ars Electronica
  6. Blogs in the Foreign Language Classroom
  7. 9th International Multi-Conference on Systems, Signals and Devices - SSD 2012
  8. Are Self-Employed Time and Money Poor? Dynamics of Interpendent Multidimensional Poverty with German Time Use Diary Data
  9. Developing the ‘Benign by Design’ Approach for a Rational Design of Green Derivatives of b -Blockers: Propranolol as an Example
  10. From Christiane to Elisabeth. The 19th Century Genesis of the Intellectually Working Woman and the Epistemological Dependency on Structures of Desire in Hegel and Nietzsche
  11. Institutional dynamics of affecting and being affected: The emotionalization of injustice and the threat of withdrawing the organizational identification
  12. Scene as Ecosystem, Scenes as Parts of Ecosystems or Scene versus Ecosystem? Some considerations about the compability of two conceptional approaches
  13. 24th IEEE International Conference on Business Informatics
  14. 13th Trends in Enterprise Architecture Research Workshop - TEAR 2018
  15. Exploring Sustainability in Virtual Space
  16. Towards a sustainable Southern Transylvania: Recognizing existing contributions to reach sustainable visions and empowering stakeholders
  17. 1st International Conference of the International Association for Computing and Philosophy - IACAP 2011
  18. Going Green 2015 - Exploring Sustainability in Virtual Space