The Journey Metaphor

Organisations make great use the journey metaphor to frame their aspirations and report their progress on sustainability, ESG and safety aims and achievements. Think of “Zero Harm”, “Pathways to Net Zero” and “ESG Roadmaps”. But when organisations conceptualise such topics as a journey is there something else going on? Does the focus on perpetual movement disguise the actual progress made, or what the destination will be? Does all this talk of pathways, roadmaps, visions and steps taken deflect from substantive questioning about the adequacy or pace of improvement, the consequences or the end state? Some scholars have argued that the journey is a ruse, clever rhetoric that disguises what substantive change and critical examination. It is a good example of the power of words and how words are increasingly use in safety and sustainability to promote ideas and critique opposing views. Does the focus on the journey detract from the progress, pace, purpose and destination? Join me as we travel along the journey metaphor, stopping off ?en route to explore the word of corporate rhetoric.

Embarkation, setting our goal

Let's start with a quick reminder that metaphors are not merely linguistic phases, they shape how we think. By comparing experiences and phenomenon that are vague in terms of something that is more tangible, metaphor enables us to conceive and understand issues that are abstract and complicated. For example, when we say Time is Money, Diseases Are Enemies or Life is a Journey we are using something concrete and relatable things which are abstract and ambiguous. They are sometimes describes as cognitive bridges that enable the mind to relate one thing to another. Metaphors are powerful in shaping our thought and we should be aware of how metaphors work, what they do, and how to use them sharpens our critical thinking. There is also power, persuasion and rhetoric in metaphor, hence why leaders, politicians and educators and storytellers use them to great effect. Although we mostly use them unconsciously, metaphors are fundamental to how we think about issues and describe our experiences. In sum, conceptual metaphors shape how we think and approach issues, and play an important role in how we make meaning and sensemaking.

Our Personal Journeys

Viewed through lens of a journey, we conceive our experiences and actions in spatial terms, such as moving forward, standing still or stepping back. Journey is one of the most popular commonly used metaphors through which we experience life and frame our progress. We make plans by setting a destination, determining a pathway, marking our progress with milestones and look back at the path travelled. ?When things do not go as planned, we conceptualise them as ups and downs and remind ourselves that like any journey, there are times when the roads are straight and other times when they are long and winding. As Heschel said so eloquently, words create worlds and no more so than the journey metaphor.

Despite its pervasiveness, rarely do we recognise the effect that this simple metaphor has in shaping how we conceive our experiences and approach abstract issues. Most of us probably do not even recognise that we are talking metaphorically when we describe our aspirations, professional growth or improvement as a journey. The metaphor is particularly powerful because it embraces change. It arises from the way we experience movement, because all journeys involve a start, a direction and an end point. Used extensively in ancient philosophy and religious scripture, the journey evokes the mental image of wagon trials across the U.S. parries or long sea voyages into the unknown involving danger and adventure.

Detouring towards a Corporate Journey

Review any corporate strategy or annual report and you will find rich use of the journey metaphor to frame improvement. Here is an example from a corporate ESG report: “This year we made good momentum in our safety journey, with further improvements in performance”. The portrayal of sustainability, ESG or safety as a journey evokes images of organisational adaptation, learning, progress. It creates a vision of change, a movement away from business-as-usual practices. So, here we can see how the journey creates a conception that shapes how we think. In corporate reporting, words and phrases are purposefully crafted, laboured and debated over the correct phrase, metaphor or sentence to present the optimum view. In world in which corporations must demonstrate their social value, define their purpose and state their legitimacy, the rhetorical flourish of metaphor seeps into corporate reporting. We must also remember that NGOs and the opponents of large corporations are themselves not averse to the use of metaphor to persuade - anyone read ‘Silent Spring’ or ‘Big Dirty Oil’? In the heated debates and public arguments on climate change, EDI and ESG, there an ongoing 'War of Metaphor', where rhetoric is used to promote arguments and persuade. Metaphors are central to this. Thus, we can view the journey metaphor not merely describing progress, but a tool for persuasion and promotion. Over two thousand years ago Aristotle, cautioned us to be aware of the use of metaphor in shaping our thought. So how is the journey metaphor used in corporate reporting?

Firstly, the journey can be used as a preamble to frame the disclosure of negative information. Take this example from a 2023 report: “We continue to make great strides forward in safety, but regret to report the loss of XX workers...” In addition to framing negative information, the metaphoric journey can also be visionary and aspirational in tone, framing safety and sustainability in a moral sense. For example: “We will not rest until zero harm is achieved and sustained across our business” or this example from a 2024 ESG report: "Our Pathway to Net Zero has been determined and we have made great strides to reduce our footprint". When organisations evoke the journey metaphor within their reporting, we can recognised that it may be used to promote an image and create an impression.

The journey metaphor can function as a sword to promote an impression and a shield to defend them.

Some of the largest criticism in the sustainability literature of journey and milestone metaphors arise from the fact that there is often little discussion of the actual progress made, whether the destination is appropriate, or if the improvements and pace of change are adequate. Put simply, it is argued that there is lots of talk but little substantive detail. This may arise because data and numbers within corporate reports are challenged through independent audit, but the words are often not. Some of the main critiques of the use of journey metaphors in sustainability and safety centre on the aspirational and directional tone that is sometimes devoid of detail. But what is it about the image of a journey that enables this?

In his 1995 book “Ecological Politics in an Age of Risk”, the late German sociologist Ulrich Beck argued that there is a pervading social attitude that all progress is (naively) perceived to be good. There is, according to Beck, “faith in progress” where narratives of ‘change’ and ‘growth’ can deflect examination of the adequacy or pace of improvement, the consequences or the end state. The journey metaphor can thus deflect deeper questions. When there is faith in progress, organisations may promote improvement without disclosing detail or avoiding scrutiny. Several writers have argued that the inherent ambiguity of the journey can avoid the stigma of doing very little while simultaneously deflecting criticism about the pace, effectiveness or end goal.

Because progress is difficult to contest, the journey metaphor can enable organisations to deflect criticism on the pace of change, or what the end state will be.

End of the road

Transparency is a good thing and the level of disclosure by corporations has markedly improved. We know now much more about the safety, sustainability and ESG efforts of organisations. The aim of this article is not to dismiss this reporting, but rather explore how rhetoric and specific types of metaphor are used to create an impression. Corporate reporting is a performative act, designed to create an impression, and metaphor are central to this. As a student of semiotics, I am interested in how signs such as metrics and metaphors are used as communication devices. Metaphors are a great example to examine how corporations seek to communicate their safety and sustainability efforts, what is said and often what is not.

I shall reserve the final words for one of the best critiques of the journey metaphor within corporate reporting by Milne, Kearins and Walton. They examined use the metaphor in corporate sustainability reports concluding “organisations who adopt the metaphor are (re)presenting themselves as doing some things to change and are aware that they have to do more, without necessarily specifying in any particular detail what the ultimate destination of their respective journeys will be”. It is an interesting challenge. I share what I read and study, so I hope you find reading my study notes useful. I’d welcome your reflections and thoughts.

Links and references

?? Markus Milne, Kate Kearins and Sara Walton, “Creating Adventures in Wonderland: The Journey Metaphor and Environmental Sustainability”

?? Ulrich Beck, “Ecological Politics in an Age of Risk”. Cambridge: Polity Press.

?? My article on metaphors of Safety: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/safety-metaphor-james-pomeroy/?trackingId=Iyc5KbGHRn2WsZZaZGSUdA%3D%3D