Beschreibung
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 Searles speech act theory is employed to intertextually identify metaphors, which are then analyzed in line with Weicks 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.
Autorenporträt
Shaozhong Liu has a Ph.D.in educational study from UNC-Greensboro and Ph.D. in ling. & appl. ling.from GDUFS. He specializes in an interface study of higher ed issues via a linguistic perspective. A Visiting Professor at Wake Forest Univ. and founding Dean of COFS, Guangxi Normal Univ., he is now Dean of COFS, Guilin Univ. of Electronic Technology.
Herstellerkennzeichnung:
OmniScriptum SRL
Str. Armeneasca 28/1, office 1
2012 Chisinau
MD
E-Mail: info@omniscriptum.com
