Shaozhong Liu

Metaphors We Make Sense By: a Speech Act Theory Study of Metaphors in Organizational Mission Statements Shaozhong Liu

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.