EFFECT OF NARRATIVES ON ORGANIZATION CHANGE

Organizations are made up of people and are therefore, inherently complex living systems with their own identity and narratives (Gabriel, 2000). Change, albeit challenging, is essential to organizational vitality and survival. If organizations are viewed as living systems (deGeus, 1997) with a collective memory then, it follows that narratives are key building blocks of the system. Comparative analysis method was applied to examine publically accessible peer-reviewed publications, websites, and social media that were related to varied types of organizations. Comparative analysis studies emphasize comparison within and across contexts, share a common focus or objective, and involve the analysis and synthesis of the similarities, differences, and patterns. This method is useful for understanding and explaining how context influences outcomes. The results of this research revealed narratives as useful vehicles to frame change actions (Bargiela-Chiappini & Harris,1997), provide information and knowledge transfer (Connell, Klein, & Meyer, 2004), bridge prior and new customs (Bakhtin, 1981; Boje, 2001; Kunda,1992), foster understanding and create a learning culture (Cunliff, 2008; Senge, 2006; Wieck,1995), and forward decision-making (Mumby, 1988; Wodak, 1996). The results encourage leaders to incorporate narratives throughout the organization change process to increase understanding and participation (Bolman & Deal, 2017). References:[1] Bakhtin, M. M. (1981). The Dialogic Imagination. M. Holquist, editor. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. [2] Bargiela-Chiappini, F., & Harris, S. J. (1997). Managing language: The discourse of corporate meetings. Amsterdam, Netherlands/Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Co. [3] Buchanan, D., & Dawson, P. (2007). Discourse and audience: Organizational change as multi-story process. Journal of Management Studies, 44, 669-686.[4] Boje, D. M. (2001). Narrative methods for organizational and communication research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage publishing. [5] Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice and leadership (6th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. [6] Connell, N. A. D., Klein, J. H., & Meyer, E. (2004). Narrative approaches to the transfer of organizational knowledge. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 2(3) 184-193. [7] Cunliffe, A. L. (2008). Orientations to social constructionism: Relationally-responsive social constructionism and its implications for knowledge and learning. Management Learning, 39, 123-139.[8] de Geus, A. P. (1997). The living organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. [9] Gabriel, Y. (2000). Storytelling in organizations: Facts, fictions, and fantasies. New York, N.Y.: Oxford Press. [10] Kunda, G. (2006). Engineering culture: Control and commitment in a high-tech corporation. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. [11] Mumby, D. K. (1988). Communication and power in organizations: Discourse, ideology and domination. Praeger Publishing. [12] Senge, P. (2006). The 5th discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Currency.[13] Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [14] Wodak, R. (1996). Disorders of discourse: Real language series. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley Longman publishers.