Winning the soul by discourse : the persuasiveness of figurative language in management communication

Persuasive communication is critical to the effectiveness of leadership and organisational change. This paper proposes that figurative language plays an important role in the persuasiveness of communication. Figurative language is language that uses figures of speech, such as metaphors and rhetorical questions. Founded on the Aristotelian theory of persuasion this paper conceptualises an ascending order in the persuasiveness of particular figures of speech, that is moderated by the thinking orientation of the listener. Plato once described the creation of the (civilised) world as the victory of persuasion over force. In that tradition, this paper seeks to gain a clearer understanding of persuasion in the management context and to contribute to the advancement of civilised behaviour inside organisations