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Article In: Review of Cognitive Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Deliberate metaphor as a rhetorical strategy for corporate identity construction

ORCiD logo with link | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
 | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
 | Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University
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Abstract
Using Deliberate Metaphor Theory and metaphor scenario analysis, this study compares the corporate identities constructed by Huawei before and after the imposition of US sanctions. The results show both convergence and divergence in deliberate metaphors and corporate identities. Although Huawei has long been portrayed as partnership-focused, innovation-driven, talent-valued and law-abiding, the specific identities it has constructed change markedly. In the pre-sanction period, Huawei is portrayed as a confident navigator, a military-style agile organization, a discerning talent gardener, and a vigilant sentinel against organizational decay. In the post-sanction period, it is framed as a resilient and steadfast traveler, a forward-looking strategic force mobilizer in the intelligence era, a storm survivor, and a down-to-earth ecosystem cultivator, reorienting its communication focus from internal optimization to addressing external challenges and accomplishing digital-era missions. This study indicates that corporate identity is a dynamic, context-sensitive cognitive construct which enables corporations to build trust across diverse contexts.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical foundation
    • 2.1Deliberate Metaphor Theory
    • 2.2Metaphor scenario
    • 2.3A proposed analytical framework
  • 3.Data and analytical procedure
    • 3.1Data collection
    • 3.2Research procedures
  • 4.Result and analysis
    • 4.1Shared source domains and constructed corporate identity
      • 4.1.1journey
      • 4.1.2war
      • 4.1.3agriculture
      • 4.1.4nature
      • 4.1.5object
      • 4.1.6human body
    • 4.2Distinctive source domains and constructed corporate identity
      • 4.2.1animal, building, and machine in the pre-sanction period
      • 4.2.2plant in the post-sanction period
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
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