The usefulness of the flow construct ( nagare in Japanese) in business and managementpractices is analyzed. It is considered that the flowconstruct in the practical context isessentially metaphorical and thus it is called a “conceptual metaphor.” The function ofconceptual metaphor explains how people use the flow construct in making sense ofchanging phenomena. Based on this, perspectives suchas cultural studies, evolutionarypsychology, and social constructionism are synthesizedto make arguments about whybeing conscious about flow in practice is considered effective especially for Japanesepeople. Limitations of using the flow construct in practice are also discussed.