Assuming positions: Organizational change as mediated through metaphors

This paper presents the notion that a metaphor is one of the discursive tools whereby people position themselves with regard to a change process. Based on Sebeok and Danesi's theory, I analyze two 'root' metaphors (articulated by an interviewee) to illustrate the assumption of positions and counter-positions and the way metaphors mediate this positioning. The paper suggests that in the specific context of organizational change, positioning plays the social role of denoting for people (who are considered members of this new social experience) the expected modes of behavior.