EXPRESS: Thinking and theorizing with metaphors

Metaphors shape how we perceive, engage with, and interpret our realities; yet how often do we as researchers harness them to advance our thinking and possibly theorizing? This paper addresses this untapped potential by first clarifying what metaphors are (and are not), before proceeding to introduce an iterative, three-step framework for operationalizing metaphors as a mode of thinking and theorizing. The author illustrates this approach through four exemplary theories across the social sciences that have emerged from metaphorical reasoning. The author also offers a practical application of the framework in the hospitality field. The paper ends with an invitation for future scholars to embrace the creative potential of metaphors both as a tool for thinking and as a potential springboard for new “homegrown” theoretical directions.