Metonymy and Management: Owning One's Work
Metonymy and Management: Owning One's Work
by Stella Boswell
Abstract An organization is nothing without its workforce. Despite the ideals held by its leaders, a company’s goals are ultimately carried out and portrayed to the public by its volunteers or employees who hold the least amount of responsibility. While leadership sets the tone for the work being done, if a vision is not shared among employees it will never be achieved. For this reason, it is crucial for employees to feel connected to the company and motivated to work in accordance with its mission. Ensuring that this feeling of connection is established within workers is where use of the rhetorical device metonymy becomes relevant. Metonymy is the replacement of an object with something that represents it as a way of referral. For example, we may refer to “a business professional” as “a suit.” . A suit is the traditional uniform for a business professional, a part of his/her identity as a business professional, but is not a term that encompasses all that it means to be one. The same device is used when, in response to a customer asking for tea, a waiter replies “I’m sorry, I do not have any.” In this situation the waiter, by phrasing his response as if he himself is the sole provider of the food and drinks in the restaurant, is using metonymy. He, as an employee, is representative of the entire dining establishment, including what they have in stock, in this example. This use of a personal pronoun can help to make the employee feel more connected to the enterprise and by extension, its success or failure. By establishing this connection, the employee feels a deeper sense of responsibility to the concerted effort of the company and will work and participate accordingly.
Metonymy and Management The type of metonymy utilized for the purpose explained here, is a form of personification. In this case the employee or member of the organization is personally representing the enterprise when they use personal language. The ideas this reinforces are important in two regards. Firstly, when using personal language like "I" or "me" when they are speaking on behalf of their company, the employee feels a stronger connection to the company and a deeper sense of responsibility for the success or lack thereof of it. Secondly, the customer or investor etc. with whom the employee is interacting feels that they are speaking with someone who has control over the outcomes of the company and is in a position to help them. This strategy differs slightly from the idea of "groupthink" that some companies utilize. While in groupthink, employees are encouraged to think of themselves as firstly a representative of the company and a team member, where the use of metonymy is implemented, employees are encouraged to think of themselves as someone who has personal stake in the company which will lead them towards being a better team player for the sake of the business. When utilized as a management technique it will accelerate the progress of a project or program. People simply care more about what they believe that they have personal stake in.
Application This management strategy can be implemented in actionable ways such as changing the language used by employees to personal pronouns when referencing the company, and can also be applied in more abstract ways such as group exercises that emphasize the importance of each individual as a team member. This strategy is ultimate goal of this strategy is to shift the mindset of an employee. It is human nature to consider yourself first before considering things surrounding you. While implementing this strategy its result can utilize this fact about humanity. By connecting oneself to the task at hand, it becomes easier to become more efficient and to put more effort into one's work.
Limitations - Reactions may differ among differing cultures and how they view the work life balance - Employees may find it difficult to gravitate towards the system initially - once in place, however, the strategy will be very beneficial -
