Storytelling A Critical Review
Critical Review
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Organizational Story and Storytelling: A Critical Review
By Mary E. Boyce, PhD, Asso. Professor, Dept. of Management & Business, Whitehead College, University of Redlands, P. O. Box 3080, 1200 E. Colton Avenue, Redlands, CA, USA 92373 voice: (909)335-4068 fax: (909)335-5125 e-mail: boyce@uor.edu
Accepted for publication in the Journal of Organizational Change Management , 1996, Volume 9, Number 5
Acknowledgement: The author wishes to thank David Boje, Will McWhinney, Jon Sager, Burkard Sievers and Teri Tompkins for their comments on earlier versions of this paper.
Contents
Abstract The Social Construction of Reality Organization Symbolism as an Organizing Perspective Taking A Critical Perspective …show more content…
A vast literature spanning sociology, philosophy, social criticism, education, and organization studies now exists that advocates a critical perspective (Bowles, 1989; Burrell, 1988; Calas & Smircich, 1992; Clegg, 1990; Ferguson, 1984; Freire, 1985; Giroux, 1992, 1993; Gramsci, 1971; Martin, 1990, 1992; Mills, 1988; Mills & Tancred, 1992; Tierney, 1989, 1993). Some of this work is grounded in modernism and some in postmodernism. Giroux (1993) and Tierney (1993) proposed a blend of these approaches, "critical postmodernism," which addresses structures and expressions of oppression at both macro and micro levels. Central to a critical perspective is identifying and challenging the assumptions that lay underneath one's work. Taking a critical perspective involves a ruthless and courageous examination and deconstruction of assumptions, norms, expectations, limitations, language, results, and applications of one's work. Organizational myth and story from a critical perspective. In the most comprehensive, critical review of organizational myth done to date, Bowles' (1989) examined the relationship between myth and meaning in work organizations. His essential thesis was that with the demise of the Church in society meaning is now sought by many persons in work organizations. An aspect of Bowles' analysis was an examination of five dominant management ideologies (structuralism, psycholigism, welfarism, legalism, and consensualism) presented by Salaman (1979) and the management metamyth identified by Ingersoll and Adams (1986; Adams & Ingersoll, 1983). Management ideologies serve to bind the individual to the organization. Specifically, organizational stories are used to promote Salaman's (1979) management ideologies of psychologism and welfarism. A central concept in these ideologies is motivation. Stories speak to purpose, motivation, sense of team and success. Sievers (1986) described motivation becoming a
Seite 1 von 18
Organizational Story and Storytelling: A Critical Review
By Mary E. Boyce, PhD, Asso. Professor, Dept. of Management & Business, Whitehead College, University of Redlands, P. O. Box 3080, 1200 E. Colton Avenue, Redlands, CA, USA 92373 voice: (909)335-4068 fax: (909)335-5125 e-mail: boyce@uor.edu
Accepted for publication in the Journal of Organizational Change Management , 1996, Volume 9, Number 5
Acknowledgement: The author wishes to thank David Boje, Will McWhinney, Jon Sager, Burkard Sievers and Teri Tompkins for their comments on earlier versions of this paper.
Contents
Abstract The Social Construction of Reality Organization Symbolism as an Organizing Perspective Taking A Critical Perspective …show more content…
A vast literature spanning sociology, philosophy, social criticism, education, and organization studies now exists that advocates a critical perspective (Bowles, 1989; Burrell, 1988; Calas & Smircich, 1992; Clegg, 1990; Ferguson, 1984; Freire, 1985; Giroux, 1992, 1993; Gramsci, 1971; Martin, 1990, 1992; Mills, 1988; Mills & Tancred, 1992; Tierney, 1989, 1993). Some of this work is grounded in modernism and some in postmodernism. Giroux (1993) and Tierney (1993) proposed a blend of these approaches, "critical postmodernism," which addresses structures and expressions of oppression at both macro and micro levels. Central to a critical perspective is identifying and challenging the assumptions that lay underneath one's work. Taking a critical perspective involves a ruthless and courageous examination and deconstruction of assumptions, norms, expectations, limitations, language, results, and applications of one's work. Organizational myth and story from a critical perspective. In the most comprehensive, critical review of organizational myth done to date, Bowles' (1989) examined the relationship between myth and meaning in work organizations. His essential thesis was that with the demise of the Church in society meaning is now sought by many persons in work organizations. An aspect of Bowles' analysis was an examination of five dominant management ideologies (structuralism, psycholigism, welfarism, legalism, and consensualism) presented by Salaman (1979) and the management metamyth identified by Ingersoll and Adams (1986; Adams & Ingersoll, 1983). Management ideologies serve to bind the individual to the organization. Specifically, organizational stories are used to promote Salaman's (1979) management ideologies of psychologism and welfarism. A central concept in these ideologies is motivation. Stories speak to purpose, motivation, sense of team and success. Sievers (1986) described motivation becoming a