Narrative

We live in a quantitative World

Does quantitative research give meaning?

A descriptive theory is a narrative

Normative theories are common narratives

Ricoeur argues that there is an integral connection between narrative and action.

Narratives lead individuals to intervene in the course of things. The action derives from

intention or motivation, based on the particular narratives of an individual, irrespective of whether these are self

generated, after appropriation from a culture.

Drummond argues ‘that narrative is the fundamental scheme for linking individual human action and events into interrelated aspects of an understandable composite’.

Drummond argues organisation culture, leadership, conflict and change are narratives. One way of framing this is that organisation culture is composed of many narratives with enough coherence between them to give a sense of the

whole’.36 Change occurs when new narratives replace old narratives. If the change is superficial, then the narratives

could be described as morphostatic; (changing the chairs on the Titanic would not stop the ship sinking); or morphogenic;

where things will never be the same again’.37 Hence, it can be argued that the linking of strategy and complexity through

narrative theory collectively extends each theory and provides a theoretical underpinning to understand better these

concepts and the linkages between them.

A theoretical link must now be made between narrative and strategy and again the work of

Ricoeur is instructive, beginning with narrative and the individual. This will lead us to make the

connection between narrative and organisational strategy which in turn leads to the concept of identification since an organisation’s strategy

requires individuals (members of the organisation) it identify with it, or support it, at least in some

minimal ways.

Optimum Region of Awareness

Emotional Disturbances

Future Orientation

Past Orientation

Inte

rnal

Loc

us o

f Con

trol

Exte

rnal

Loc

us o

f Con

trol

All narrative comes from our emotional orientation

Story

Narrative as a story

• The way that stories are told, how meaning is constructed to achieve the understanding of the audience.

• Groups events into cause and effect – action and inaction.• Organises time and space in very compressed form.• The voice of the narrative can vary; whose story is being

told and from whose perspective?• Narrative plot refers to everything audibly or visibly

present, i.e. selective.• Narrative story refers to all the events, explicitly

presented or referred.

• As children we listen to fairytales and myths/legends. As we grow older, we read short stories, novels, history and biographies.

• Religion is often presented through a collection of “stories/moral tales” e.g. the Bible, the Ramayana, etc.

• Scientific breakthrough is often presented as stories of an experimenter/scientist’s trials.

• Cultural phenomena such as plays, films, dance and paintings tell stories.

• News events are told as stories.• Dreams are retold as stories.

We use narratives or stories to make sense of our lives and the world around us. There different ways in which we use the narrative form:

The world is seen from our own perspective – our narrative

Memory is in “I” & “Me” Mode

Meaning• Dear Honorable Dato'/Prof./Assoc.Prof./Dr./Mr/Mrs/Miss,

Kindly be informed that there will be a talk on "Science of Knowledge", scheduled as follows :

Date : 9th September 2011 (Friday)Time : 3.00 pm ~ 4.30 pm Venue : PPIPT Meeting Room, Block A Attendance : Compulsory to all academic staffsSpeaker : Honorable Prof. Dato' Wira Dr. Mohd Salleh Bin Hj Din

Your commitment and attendance is deeply appreciated.

Thanking in advance.

Confidence?

The Things we thinkThe things we do

The intentions we haveThe things we buy

Are all governed by our own stories

Meaning

We give symbols common meaning to form society’s narrative

A Product is a Narrative

Stories we construct

Stories we construct shape our assumptions, beliefs and values

Culture is a story

Leadership

Theories in action verses Espoused

Norms and group behaviour Organisational

learning (single or double looped

Productivity & effectiveness

Stories, myths, heroes, artifacts, informal behaviours

Innovate --------------------------Avoid mistakesThink long term--------------------Live for todaySave money----------------Spend for the futureWork by oneself---------------Work as a groupBe flexible------------- Follow rules and normsCollaborate-------------------------------Compete

Make your own decisions---Make joint decisions

Value is socially constructed

How do you know?

How many stories are there here?

Narrative gives meaning – without narrative there is no meaning

Stereotyping

True Self (Universal awareness)

Spiritual Awareness

Ego Awareness

Social Awareness

Material Awareness

Physical Awareness

Spiritual Self

Ego Self

Social Self

Material Self

Primal Self

Physical Sensations

Perception

Society

We have multiple narratives in ourselves

What Emotions are they feeling?

Nervous Energetic Determined

Courage

Passionate

Excited

intimidated

Anxious

Overwhelmed Competitive Challenging

Green are positive, Red are negative and yellow emotions can go either way

Courage

Passionate

intimidated

Determined

Energetic

Overwhelmed

Anxious

Challenging

The different sets of emotions will heavily

influence performance.

Awkward

Passionate

Tense

Confident

Shy

Scared

Excited

Confused

“Big-headed”

Overwhelmed

Different weight and balance of emotions may produce different behaviour & performance

Parent

Adult

Child

Parent Ego State Behaviours, thoughts

and feelings copied from parents and parent figures.

Adult Ego State Behaviours, thoughts

and feelings are direct responses to here and now.

Child Ego State Behaviours, thoughts

and feelings are replayed from childhood.

Parent Parent

Adult Adult

Child Child

Transactional Analysis relationship Dynamics

You Me

Parent

Adult

Child

Controlling Parent Nurturing Parent

Controlling Adult Nurturing Adult

Creative ChildImmature Child

Archetypes

• The hero (seeking something)• The Villain (opposing the hero)

• The donor/benefactor/provider (a helper)• The dispatcher (sends the hero on his/her way)

• The false hero (falsely assuming the role of the hero)• The helper (assisting the hero)

• The princess (seeking protection of the hero)

Our different selves can be considered archetypes

Dominant Logic

The way people deal with events and situations in life. Dominant logic consists of a mental

map which orientates a person. It can either inhibit or enhance learning, growth and

fulfillment.

Dominant Logic

• Our behaviour, focus and the way people act • A set of ideas about ourselves and the world • Personal rules and experiences • A reflection of our success, failure, and

indifference• Something that is invisible, internal • An organisation's genetic code • An organisation's operating system

Where can we use Narrative?

• In the classroom – aid to learning/understanding• Research – developing descriptive theory• Marketing – Branding• Entrepreneurship research (The Republic of Tea)• Organizational Analysis• Political analysis• Social analysis• Self & Identity • Creativity Research

Reductionist Quantitative Research

But what is it really?

You might learn a lot about a little bit

Holistic Qualitative Research

Traps & Filters

Developing Your frames

Emergent In a stance of anticipation

Reflective In a stance of learning

Narrative

A Meta-Theory Trap & Filter

Culture (Values, Beliefs & Assumptions)

Emotions

Transactional Analysis and/or Field Theory

Typologies