The Helix of Change: A Visual Metaphor

Although discourse encompasses verbal as well as visual representations, the visual mode of meaning construction remains largely unaddressed in discussions of organizational change, despite recent calls for a ‘visual turn’ in organization studies. To this end, our study adds a visual meaning‐making...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European management review 2017-06, Vol.14 (2), p.143-163
Main Authors: Kassinis, George, Panayiotou, Alexia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Meaning
Metaphor
Music
Music industry
Organization studies
Organizational change
Startups
Talking
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Summary:Although discourse encompasses verbal as well as visual representations, the visual mode of meaning construction remains largely unaddressed in discussions of organizational change, despite recent calls for a ‘visual turn’ in organization studies. To this end, our study adds a visual meaning‐making perspective to the literature on organizational change through an empirical, longitudinal study of a Boston‐based start‐up that radically altered the music industry. By employing a bottom‐up view of organizing, we document change as it happens ‘on the ground’ and propose a new visual metaphor for understanding change – a helix. This visual metaphor adds a helpful image to the current literature of change as process, which is often bound by static, noun‐oriented language. It also has the potential to effectively depict the stability‐change paradox in a way that moves us beyond either/or ways of thinking, talking and planning.
ISSN:1740-4754
1740-4762
DOI:10.1111/emre.12096