Abstract:

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:
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Keywords:

Organization Change, Narratives, Context, Learning Culture, Build Capacity.