The stories metaphors tell: Metaphors as a tool to decipher tacit aspects of narratives

Metaphors are often unconscious and taken-for-granted parts of our daily life and common communication. This article deals with the explorative and descriptive aspects of metaphors used in organizational settings. I introduce a three-step metaphor analysis including several particular tools that focus on the specific metaphor mean-ing. Two case studies of East German managers ’ narratives will demonstrate how metaphors can help us better understand highly emotional contexts and complex situations within organizations