Conflicting Values

Abstract

This article analyzes a CEO's use of extended epic metaphor in building corporate culture. Whereas much of the research on management's use of narrative has examined shorter stories and anecdotes, here the authors analyze the text of a speech written by a newly hired CEO for his upper management team. The speech, which was never delivered but was instead sent out in a leadership manual to managers in the conglomerate, begins with a narrative history of the CEO's first five months in office. In his description of events, the metaphoric language suggesting heroes and competition contradicts the principles of team management that the CEO intends to implement throughout the company. These heroic metaphors valorize individual achievement, agency, and action—values more likely to be familiar to the business culture than the cooperative values of teams. Drawn from war and sports metaphors common in the language of the popular American lexicon, the images generate more excitement and appeal than those of cooperative planning inherent in team management systems.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
1997-01-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651997011001002
Open Access
Closed
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (1)

  1. Rhetoric Review
Also cites 11 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1108/09534819310042740
  2. 10.1080/00335639309384045
  3. 10.1177/002194369403100403
  4. 10.1080/10417948809372726
  5. 10.1080/00335638209383610
  6. 10.1080/01463379509369970
  7. 10.1080/03637758709390221
  8. 10.1177/002194368001700302
  9. 10.1108/EUM0000000001210
  10. 10.1177/002194369503200101
  11. 10.1002/smj.4250040208
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