Metaphor and analogical reasoning in organization theory: Beyond orthodoxy

This note concerns the creative potential of tropes in the process of analogical reasoning. We first suggest that metaphors (including metonymy and synecdoche) operate within the "cognitive comfort zone" of similarity. Thus, analogically, they are best seen as a means of elaborating and explicating existing knowledge. Second, we make the case for greater analytical attention to be paid to the so-called lesser tropes of anomaly, paradox, and irony, which are based on dissimilarity. These operate within the "cognitive discomfort zone," open up genuine alternative possibilities, and, analogically, provide a more fruitful source of knowledge generation.