CONFLICTING USES OF METAPHORS - RECONCEPTUALIZING THEIR USE IN THE FIELD OF ORGANIZATIONAL-CHANGE

Diverse and often unacknowledged assumptions underlie the use of metap hors in the organizational change literature. This diversity is sympto matic of broader ontological and epistemological conflicts within orga nization theory. To gain a critical awareness of the assumptions under lying their use of metaphors. organizational analysts can use a reflex ive approach. This approach entails addressing four issues: representa tion. enunciation. separation. and routinization. The organizational c hange literature is used to illustrate the implications of this approa ch for future research.