Business had been humming along just fine until the recession hit. Peterbilt adjusted by laying off employees until the recession ended then hired them back. Then it was back to business as usual. This is an example of .

The calm waters metaphor

Explanation:

Metaphor is the use of a word or phrase in an indirect way.

Calm Water’s Metaphor: This could be seen as the occasional distruption of organizational plans or events. In a calm metaphor concepts, organizations change into a new state of Planning.

The organization has an upward and downward period. It is characterised by fluctuations in organizational planning and events. The calm waters metaphor opined that change is an occasional disruption in the normal flow events in an organization and can be planned and managed as it happens unlike white-water rapid metaphor.

In calm water metaphor, plans can be made during the changing period.

• Change normally comes in form of an occasional storm, like a calm and predictable trip or may be like a brief distraction. According to the calm waters rapids metaphor, changes can be seen as an occasional disruption of the normal flow of events.

• In calm waters metaphor context, organizations follow - unfreezing the present status quo such as rules, regulations and culture, changing into a new state where employees need to accept change and then refreezing these changes to be permanent.

• Until a new changed is posed in front of the organization, it will be continuing in the same state.

. In the white-water rapids metaphor change is ongoing, and managing it is a continual process.