Braiding together student and supervisor aspirations in a struggle to decolonize

In this study, we explore a student-supervisor relationship and the development of relational and reflexive research identities as joint actions towards decolonizing management knowledge and practice. We frame a specific case of PhD supervision through he awa whiria the braided rivers metaphor, which emerges from Māori traditions. This metaphor recognizes a plurality of knowledge streams that can start from different sources, converge, braid and depart again, from the mountains to the sea. In this metaphor, each stream maintains its own autonomy and authority, but knowledge is created at an interface in partnership. We use this framing metaphor to illustrate the tensions between co-creating knowledge with an Indigenous community that a research student has kinship ties with and feels a strong affinity to, and navigating the institutional requirements for a PhD within a UK university. We surface two contributions that open up future possibilities for supervision, research and practice. The first is the use of the metaphor to frame the student-supervisor partnership and strategies for decolonizing management knowledge more broadly. The second is the requirement for relational and reflexive research identities in decolonizing management knowledge

Bridging Organizational Silos

{Excerpt} A silo is a tall, self-contained cylindrical structure that isused to store commodities such as grain after a harvest. It is also a figure of speech for organizational entities—and their management teams—that lack the desire or motivation to coordinate (at worst, even communicate) with other entities in the same organization. Wide recognition of the metaphor intimates that structural barriers in sizable organizations often cause units to work against one another: silos, politics, and turf wars are often mentioned in the same breath. An organization is a social arrangement to pursue a collective intent. Coordination, and the requisite communication it implies, is fundamental to organizational performance toward that. Yet, many organizations grapple with the challenge of connecting the subsystems they have devised to enhance specific contributing functions. Here and there, organizational, spatial, and social boundaries impede—when they do not block—the flows of knowledge needed to make full use of capabilities. High costs are borne from duplication of effort, inconsistencies, and inefficiencies. Everywhere, large organizations must move from managing silos to managing systems

Building and Managing Social Capital in Virtual Communities

We suggest that the development and sustainability of social capital is related to the social context in which individuals, groups or firms operate. Therefore, we argue that there is a direct relationship between how one party conceives to be benefited from being part of another group or network and its implication for the development of social capital. In this paper, we use a social exchange metaphor for understanding the challenges related to the management of social capital in a virtual community. First, we provide an overview of virtual community and discuss the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for supporting this type of community. Second, we address the management challenges for the development process of social capital from a sociological standpoint. Lastly, we suggest the implications of study for the management of social capital in virtual community. The following research questions guide this study—What is/are the key strategic challenges for the management of social capital in virtual community? How do establish an effective knowledge sharing process for supporting the development of social capital in a virtual community? How can the social exchange metaphor help in managing the strategic challenges related to the formation of social capital in a virtual community

A graphical user interface for policy composition in CIM-SPL

CIM-SPL is a declarative policy specification language proposed inside DMTF. SPL policies allow the specification of rules to govern the behavior of a system using a PBM approach. However, SPL requires thorough knowledge of the language syntax as well as full understanding of the management scenario and its available management features. This paper describes a graphical CIM-SPL editor application and the supporting policy edition metaphor. A graphical composition process of SPL policies is proposed, based on the use of drag and drop operations of the policy component items in a graphical interface. The editor includes policy creation wizards that guide the user in the policy specification process, in order to alleviate network administrators from the difficulties associated with the intricacies of SPL language. Additionally, a text-based SPL edition tool is provided as a complement for experienced SPL language operators

Small business and marketing management: seeking relevance through the metaphor

This paper suggests that one way to make small business research more relevant to practitioners and academics is by using an approach based on the socially constructed metaphor. Drawing on some research which used a series of phenomenological interviews, this paper demonstrates how the ‘metaphors in use’ of a small group of marketing managers gives meaning to their world and informs action. Despite the limited scope of the research, what is revealed are ways of managing in small businesses which it is argued traditional methods of inquiry are largely incapable of uncovering. The varied insights into managers life worlds which are provided by analysing the metaphors in this paper, has enabled the researcher to suggest that the basis for a new type of creative theory exists. This theory, based on locally defined rationalities, has the potential to open up small business marketing and turn it into a contested area of knowledge. It is argued that the latter is not the case at present, due to the dominance of a need for replication and generalisation in many researchers’ agendas

Organization theory and military metaphor: time for a reappraisal?

A ‘conventional’ use of military metaphor would use it to convey attributes such as hierarchical organization, vertical communication and limited autonomy. This is often used in contrast to a looser form of organization based on the metaphor of the network. However, this article argues that military practice is more complex, with examples of considerable autonomy within the constraints of central direction. It is suggested that not only might this be a more useful metaphor for many contemporary organizations, but also that simplistic uses of military metaphor divert our attention away from the functions that management hierarchies play. The discussion is embedded within a critical realist account of metaphor, arguing for both its value and the need for its further development

A Holistic Approach to Knowledge Risk

In the knowledge economy, knowledge becomes a strategic resource for any company contributing significantly to achieving its competitive advantage. Knowledge risk is associated with any knowledge activity which is done under the pressure of uncertainty. Researchers focus their attention especially on the following types of knowledge risks: knowledge loss, knowledge leakage, knowledge spillover, knowledge outsourcing, knowledge gaps, and improper use of knowledge. All the researchers analyze knowledge risk by using for knowledge the metaphor of stock-and-flow, which implies that knowledge is considered in its explicit form as being rational. According to the theory of knowledge fields, which is based on the metaphor of knowledge as energy, we consider a holistic approach comprising the rational knowledge field, emotional knowledge field, and spiritual knowledge field. In this perspective, the risk is associated with each knowledge field such that the whole phenomenon of knowledge risk becomes more complex. The purpose of this paper is to present a holistic approach to the knowledge risk based on this theory of knowledge fields and the energy metaphor for knowledge. It is a conceptual analysis based on metaphorical thinking and literature background. Our findings lead to a larger perspective in understanding and using the concept of knowledge risk in knowledge management

Uncorking the potential of wine language for young wine tourists

Effective communication with consumers underpins growth in wine knowledge that, in turn, contributes to growth in wine consumption. Indeed, tasting notes may enhance consumers’ experiences of wine. Yet wine language is full of fuzzy concepts. In this chapter, we consider the language used to talk about wine, specifically the humanlike features of wine (e.g., wine is described as honest, sexy, shy, or brooding). We demonstrate that metaphoric language is integral to the experience of wine and influences consumer behaviour. We discuss practical implications for the cellar door experience, and for effective and ethical wine communication. We conclude that metaphoric language is a pedagogical and cultural platform for engaging younger wine tourists in the cellar door experience, which is a significant revenue source for micro, small, and medium wineries

Models and metaphors: complexity theory and through-life management in the built environment

Complexity thinking may have both modelling and metaphorical applications in the through-life management of the built environment. These two distinct approaches are examined and compared. In the first instance, some of the sources of complexity in the design, construction and maintenance of the built environment are identified. The metaphorical use of complexity in management thinking and its application in the built environment are briefly examined. This is followed by an exploration of modelling techniques relevant to built environment concerns. Non-linear and complex mathematical techniques such as fuzzy logic, cellular automata and attractors, may be applicable to their analysis. Existing software tools are identified and examples of successful built environment applications of complexity modelling are given. Some issues that arise include the definition of phenomena in a mathematically usable way, the functionality of available software and the possibility of going beyond representational modelling. Further questions arising from the application of complexity thinking are discussed, including the possibilities for confusion that arise from the use of metaphor. The metaphor of a 'commentary machine' is suggested as a possible way forward and it is suggested that an appropriate linguistic analysis can in certain situations reduce perceived complexity

Wine and metaphor: cross-cultural [dis]harmony

When influential Australian wine judge and critic James Halliday describes an Australian 2008 Shiraz as 'an undoubtedly full-bodied wine, with a peacock's tail display of blackberry fruit, dark chocolate and vanillin oak, and with impeccable balance and line, the finish subtle' (Dan Murphy's, 2011, October, p. 7) he endeavours to capture its essence in prose. The use of such expressive and evocative language is intended to conjure visual, emotive and synaesthetic perceptions from his audience. This chapter explores the bond between metaphorical language and wine discourse in the specialised genre of wine tasting notes