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Article
Publication date: 20 February 2020

Martijn van Ooijen, Antonie van Nistelrooij and Marcel Veenswijk

The purpose of this paper is to expand the theory on multistory cultural change by showing how a dominant narrative on construction safety dynamically interrelates and is…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand the theory on multistory cultural change by showing how a dominant narrative on construction safety dynamically interrelates and is contested on multiple intertextual levels in an organizational field of organizations contributing to the recovery of houses in an earthquake region.

Design/methodology/approach

An ethnoventionist research approach was adopted in which interpretation of data to find narratives and designing interventions went hand-in-hand.

Findings

We found four distinctive composite narratives besides the dominant narrative to which five actors refer in their accounts, thereby contributing to three types of story patterns. These narratives disclose the taken-for-granted ideas and beliefs that characterize the challenge of changing organizational culture. One intervention, which intended multiple stories to touch the surface, was highlighted as a multistory intervention.

Research limitations/implications

Further research could extend the knowledge on other change interventions that contribute to multistory cultural change processes.

Originality/value

Adopting an ethnoventionist approach to provide deep insights on an unfolding cultural change process for both scholars and practitioners.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2021

Tove Faber Frandsen, Kristian Møhler Sørensen and Lyngroes Fladmose Anne

Libraries are increasingly trying to communicate the library's contributions and telling the library stories. Stories can be a component of impact assessment and thus add nuance…

Abstract

Purpose

Libraries are increasingly trying to communicate the library's contributions and telling the library stories. Stories can be a component of impact assessment and thus add nuance to an assessment. Evaluations of libraries can include collecting and presenting stories of change, which can serve as evidence in impact assessments. The narrative field allows for many different approaches to a narrative perspective in the study of libraries, but the existing literature provides little overview of these studies. The purpose of this study is to introduce the narrative field and present a systematic review of the existing studies of libraries that use narrative approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The methods in this study comprise of a systematic review of publications reporting narrative approaches to studying libraries. To retrieve the relevant studies, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Scopus, Web of Science and Proquest Dissertation were searched. Furthermore, the authors examined reference lists and performed citation searches. Study selection was performed by two reviewers independently. Using designed templates, data from the included studies were extracted by one author and confirmed by another.

Findings

The database searches retrieved 2,096 records across the four databases which were screened in two steps, resulting in 35 included studies. The authors identify studies that introduce narrative enquiries in library studies as well as studies using narrative approaches to the study of libraries.

Originality/value

Exploring narratives and stories for understanding and evaluating the library's worth is a promising field. More work is needed, though, to develop theoretical and methodological frameworks. Several of the included studies can serve as examples of the potential of a narrative perspective in the study of libraries.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 77 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1997

Victoria Bush, Sharon Harris and Alan Bush

The arena of services marketing provides numerous opportunities for ethical violations. As competition intensifies, service providers strive harder to please the customer which…

1981

Abstract

The arena of services marketing provides numerous opportunities for ethical violations. As competition intensifies, service providers strive harder to please the customer which can increase the temptation to make ethical compromises. Presents the narrative paradigm as a normative model for ethical decision making in the services marketing environment. The narrative paradigm is learned through socialization and can be applied to the performances of service providers. By viewing services rendered from the narrative perspective, service marketers may be able to discern hidden moral issues, or potential controversial activities. Introduces the concept of services as a performance and the current status of ethics in marketing with implications for the service industry. Introduces the narrative paradigm and gives examples of how it can be applied to the service marketing environment.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2018

Anna-Maija Lämsä, Tommi Pekka Auvinen, Suvi Susanna Heikkinen and Teppo Sintonen

The purpose of this paper is to develop a narrative framework for doing empirical research into business ethics and shows, through two examples, how the framework can be applied…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a narrative framework for doing empirical research into business ethics and shows, through two examples, how the framework can be applied in practice in this context. The focus is on interview-based research.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical research based on literature review was conducted.

Findings

In the developed narrative framework, two main kinds of analysis are distinguished: an analysis of the narrative and a narrative analysis. An analysis of the narrative is a matter of classifying and producing taxonomies out of the data. The purpose of a narrative analysis is to construct a story or stories based on the data. Narrative analysis differs from the analysis of narratives in that the story does not exist prior to the analysis, but is created during the analysis.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed narrative framework helps those doing empirical research into business ethics avoid simplistic “black and white” interpretations of their material, and helps them to show that ethical realities in the business world are often complex, various and multiple.

Practical implications

The paper offers a methodological framework for those doing qualitative research into business ethics which will increase the quality and rigor of their studies.

Originality/value

A value of the narrative approach is that the stories offer researchers an entry point to understanding the complexity of ethics and how people make sense of this complexity. The paper shows in detail how the methods presented can be used in practice in empirical research.

Details

Baltic Journal of Management, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2010

Manjula S. Salimath and John B. Cullen

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview and synthesis of the extant literature in entrepreneurship by utilizing an uncommon and unique lens. The lens focuses on…

2901

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview and synthesis of the extant literature in entrepreneurship by utilizing an uncommon and unique lens. The lens focuses on studies that explore the effects of formal (social institutions) and informal (national culture) institutional factors on entrepreneurship at the national level.

Design/methodology/approach

The design is a narrative literature overview of research published in peer reviewed journals in business and related fields from 1980 to 2009. North's classification of formal and informal institutions provides the structural framework. The overview includes salient published articles that empirically assessed the effect of at least one variable of the institutional context on entrepreneurship. The paper is organized as follows. After setting the context, legitimacy, and validity of contextual research in the entrepreneurship field in general, it reviews relevant research, focusing on the formal and informal institutional factors that affect entrepreneurship.

Findings

The review highlights the complex nature of entrepreneurship. Both formal and informal institutional factors affect entrepreneurship at multiple levels.

Research limitations/implications

The review is important as it synthesizes the results of published research and offers a starting point to understand the effect of macro contextual factors on entrepreneurship. It is also timely, as entrepreneurship plays a significant role in the economic well being of a nation, and many governments are actively seeking to increase entrepreneurial activity.

Practical implications

Policy makers can further entrepreneurship by understanding the role played by the institutional context. Applying appropriate institutional incentives is instrumental in enabling entrepreneurs in a more direct and effective manner.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new synthesis of formal and informal institutional effects on entrepreneurship at the nation‐level. As such, it goes beyond prior culture based reviews, and add to the understanding of macro nation effects of institutions on entrepreneurship.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2021

Russell Mannion and Ewen Speed

This paper aims to explore right wing populist government responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

192

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore right wing populist government responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a narrative overview of right-wing populist policies and strategies, which is loosely structured around fascistic themes set out in Albert Camus’ allegorical novel, The Plague.

Findings

Although individual responses to the coronavirus pandemic among right-wing populists differ, they appear to coalesce around four central themes: initial denial and then mismanagement of the pandemic; the disease being framed as primarily an economic rather than a public health crisis; a contempt for scientific and professional expertise; and the “othering” of marginal groups for political ends. Populist responses to the pandemic have given rise to increased levels of xenophobia, the violation of human rights and the denigration of scientific expertise.

Research limitations/implications

This is a narrative overview from a personal viewpoint.

Originality/value

Drawing on themes in Camus' novel The Plague, this is a personal perspective on right wing populist government responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Populist responses to the pandemic have given rise to increased levels of intolerance and xenophobia and the violation of human rights and civil liberties.

Details

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 September 2013

Alison Sheridan and Jane O'Sullivan

This paper aims to demonstrate how close analysis of cultural narratives can be employed as effective pedagogical tools in the explication and critique of specific workplace…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate how close analysis of cultural narratives can be employed as effective pedagogical tools in the explication and critique of specific workplace issues relevant to health management education.

Design/methodology/approach

Two narratives have been selected to illustrate this point: the apparently “fictional” UK-based medical television drama series Bodies (2005-2006) and the apparently “factual” report of an Australian state government public inquiry into acute health care, the Garling Report.

Findings

Through their demonstration of how analyses of selected segments of these texts can be used in health management education, the authors conclude that the comparative analyses of ostensibly “fictional” and “factual” narratives allow for analysis and critique of the inadequacies of new public management (NPM) applied to the health care industry, leading to a greater understanding of wider ideological effects on public perceptions.

Practical implications

The authors argue that these understandings enliven students' learning experiences, and that such comparative analyses should be applied more widely across health management education to develop students' critical skills and openness to exploring alternative models.

Originality/value

Comparative analysis of cultural texts is novel in health care education, and allows for the interrogation of ideology and its effects.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 July 2020

Rosemary Vito and Bharati Sethi

The lived paid work experiences of two women (a European Canadian-born and a South Asian immigrant) demonstrate how low-quality leader–member exchanges and poor diversity…

7174

Abstract

Purpose

The lived paid work experiences of two women (a European Canadian-born and a South Asian immigrant) demonstrate how low-quality leader–member exchanges and poor diversity management negatively influence employees' health, job satisfaction and retention during a period of major organizational change.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper combined a narrative case study with auto ethnography to examine the lived paid work experiences of the two female authors and identify common patterns of meaning within the data.

Findings

The analysis of personalized accounts demonstrate the damaging results of a failed change management initiative when leaders did not follow an organizational change model and used an authoritarian leadership style. Further, the low-quality leader–member exchanges and poor diversity management reduced authors' feelings of inclusion and negatively impacted their emotional and physical health, job satisfaction, and retention.

Research limitations/implications

New knowledge gained about leader–member exchange and diversity management has implications not only for leaders, but also human service managers. The data represents the authors' two perspectives, constraining generalizability. Larger samples of employees' narratives from diverse cultural/work backgrounds would be valuable to inform organizational change.

Practical implications

The paper provides practical reasons for leadership training and skill development in change management models.

Social implications

Given global demographic diversity, the findings are relevant to organizations, highlighting the importance of creating a climate of inclusion for workers' job satisfaction and retention and organizational success.

Originality/value

While the sample size (n = 2) is very small, using a combination of personal experience methods offered insights into the complexity of leader–member exchange and diversity management from workers' perspectives, and went beyond successful cases, adding value to organizational change research.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 33 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 December 2020

Lynette Harland Shotton

The purpose of the paper is to explore the theory and approaches employed by a novice narrative researcher to open, work in, and close the narrative space. The paper reflects on…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explore the theory and approaches employed by a novice narrative researcher to open, work in, and close the narrative space. The paper reflects on this personal journey and aims to provide insight for other novices to successfully navigate the narrative space.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on the experiences and emotions involved in undertaking narrative inquiry as a novice researcher. The paper focuses specifically on the challenges of opening, working in and closing the narrative space.

Findings

Through a critical and reflective discussion of approaches to narrative inquiry, the papers points to key theories, and approaches, which guide narrative research. In doing this, the diversity in interpretation and application of narrative research are noted as essential components of both its challenge and beauty.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this paper are linked to its utility in helping others reflect on their own practice and also providing insight and support to other novice researchers seeking to navigate the narrative space.

Originality/value

The paper provides a subjective interpretation and application of the theory underpinning narrative research and how it was used to guide the authors research into care leavers journeys into and through university.

Details

Qualitative Research Journal, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1443-9883

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 August 2022

Shqipe Gashi Nulleshi and Viktorija Kalonaityte

This paper aims to add to the theorization of the gender dynamic in rural areas by investigating the motives of women who join their family firm (or their spouse's family firm…

2250

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to add to the theorization of the gender dynamic in rural areas by investigating the motives of women who join their family firm (or their spouse's family firm) and thereby defy the demographic trend of rural flight. The context of this study is the depopulation of rural areas with the closing of basic services and relocation of the younger population, and educated women in particular, to urban areas. Consequently, rural family businesses risk failing to find successors and suffering forced closure or relocation. The empirical site of the study is rural family firms in Sweden, a context characterized by a high level of gender equality in legislation and culture but gender-conservative business structures in rural regions.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical case in this paper builds on a qualitative study of nine (9) life course narratives of women entrepreneurs in a rural region of Southern Sweden who have returned to rural areas to join their family business. The authors follow the view established by gender scholars that women are active agents in navigating their lives, and their life story narratives offer insight into the considerations that inform their choice to stay or return to rural locations. In Sweden, the setting for the study, gender equality is widely supported by legislation, policy and institutional frameworks and popular understanding of gender relations. In contrast to the gender-progressive policies of Sweden at large, women's entrepreneurship in rural regions of Sweden tends to follow traditional gender hierarchies and face similar constraints as in rural areas of other countries. The juxtaposition of these competing sets of ideals makes Sweden an important and interesting place to study and draw insights from the experiences of women entrepreneurs.

Findings

The findings reveal that women who choose to join rural family firms view them primarily in a positive light and see this choice as aligned with their need for professional flexibility and assertiveness, rewarding relationships, and a calm, secure, well-balanced life. Theoretically, the study implies that women choosing to engage in rural family firms seek non-material benefits, such as work–life balance and social support, and may be driven in part by a sense of psychological ownership that extends to the rural community.

Originality/value

The findings provide novel insights on women as active agents in navigating their lives and the intrinsic (e.g. alignment of personal values) and extrinsic (e.g. community support) motives that inform their decisions. The study also raises questions regarding how women perceive themselves as “fitting in” to rural settings and to what extent the sense of security within these settings that the women describe may be contingent upon factors such as their families' embeddedness within the community as well as their conformity to the local social norms.

Details

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-6266

Keywords

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