Affiliation:
1. University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa Ontario Canada
Abstract
AbstractResearchers have acknowledged the usefulness of metaphors to understand organizational phenomena. More than fancy linguistic ornaments, metaphors can provide a rich understanding of the situation under investigation; demonstrate how individuals think, feel and behave; and be used as a diagnostic tool to help analyse organizational problems. Notwithstanding the importance of metaphor analysis, how system thinking principles can be applied to understand the elicited nature of metaphor in the context of information technology (IT) project management practices remains to be explored in greater detail. Drawing on the field of applied linguistics, coupled with complexity theory, a complex systems metaphor perspective is put forward as a fresh lens to understand IT project management practices. This perspective is illustrated through a discourse analysis of a large IT project in the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
Subject
Information Systems and Management,Strategy and Management,General Social Sciences