A narrative approach to strategy as practice: strategy-making from texts and narratives

Ville, Valérie-Inès de la; Mounoud, Éléonore

doi:10.1017/cbo9781139681032.015

Cited by 15 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Second, our observations about memorializing, in general, and the serializing practice, in particular, expand our understanding of the nature of strategy texts, that is, the material manifestations of strategy‐making (Fenton & Langley, ). Past work conceived strategy texts as relatively unrelated individual narratives adhering to specific genres, such as business plans and annual reports (De La Ville & Mounoud, ; Kaplan, ), conveying information as lists or stories (Shaw, Brown, & Bromiley, ), and acquiring meanings within the narratives that are widely diffused within a field of organizations (Fenton & Langley, ). Instead, we portray strategy texts as a collection of interconnected narratives that advance broader stories (metanarratives), and ultimately, construct an even broader firm‐specific “grand‐narrative” (see footnote 9).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A universe of stories: Mobilizing narrative practices during transformative change

Dalpiaz

Stefano

2017

Strategic Management Journal

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Research Summary: Constructing narratives of transformative change is an important but challenging practice through which strategy-makers attempt to influence acceptance of an ongoing transformation. To understand whether and how strategy-makers can construct a steady influx of captivating narratives of transformative change, we analyzed how one noted strategy-maker assisted the successful transformation of his organization over three decades by orchestrating the production of change narratives. Our analysis reveals that the strategy-maker constructed and reconstructed meanings of change over time using three sets of distinct but interconnected narrative practices. We develop a dynamic model linking the simultaneous mobilization of these practices to strategymakers' ability to harness the persistent tension between novelty and familiarity in a transformative change, and thereby, win endorsement from key audiences. Managerial Summary: How can storytelling be used to influence acceptance of an ongoing organizational transformation? In this article, we try to answer this question by examining how, over three decades, Italian company Alessi documented its transformation from a manufacturer of kitchen steel utensils to a producer of a variety of household objects purchased also for their symbolic value. The leader behind Alessi's transformation, Alberto Alessi, orchestrated such storytelling effort, targeting employees, customers, retailers, and visitors to Alessi exhibitions. Our findings uncover how stories can be used to win audiences' endorsement of change through narrative practices aimed at: (a) constructing a collective memory of change, (b) depicting change as a novel but coherent departure from the past, and (c) portraying change as a transcendent endeavor.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A universe of stories: Mobilizing narrative practices during transformative change

Dalpiaz

Stefano

2017

Strategic Management Journal

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“…(), and de la Ville and Mounoud () have suggested, it is important for researchers to reach beyond the doings of managers in creating strategy to understand how it is received and acted upon. It is here that de Certeau's () work may be useful in considering the appropriation of strategy discourse (de la Ville and Mounoud, ). de Certeau () considers the notions of ‘production’ and ‘consumption’ in the framework of everyday activities.…”

Section: Conceptual Foundations: the Role Of Strategic Ambiguity In Smentioning

confidence: 99%

The Double Edge of Ambiguity in Strategic Planning

Abdallah

Langley

2013

J Management Studies

138

135

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While the communications and strategy literatures have suggested that ambiguity embedded in texts such as strategic plans many enable the accommodation of divergent perspectives and contribute to building consensus and commitment, little is known about the consequences of such ambiguity for the consumption of strategy discourse or for the enactment of planned strategy. In a case study of strategic planning in a cultural organization, we identify three forms of ambiguity embedded in the strategy text, and show how these features generate different forms of consumption among organization members. We find that strategic ambiguity initially plays an enabling role as participants engage in enacting their respective interpretations of strategy. However, over time, the mobilizing effects of strategic ambiguity lead to internal contradiction and overextension. The study contributes by exploring empirically the double‐edged nature of strategic ambiguity, and by identifying the underlying mechanisms by which its paradoxical consequences emerge. We show that while ambiguous strategy discourse enables strategic development and change, it may contain the seeds of its own dissolution contributing to cyclical patterns of strategy development and reorientation.

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“…This approach can bring researcher closer to practitioners (Küpers et al, 2013) and enable a better understand of day-to-day strategists. Narrative can be found in the micro-stories told by managers and others as they interact and go about their daily work and in the accounts that people give of their work as strategy practitioners (De La Ville & Mounoud, 2010). This is a method that provides broad and deep data collection: data based on a temporal schema, data embedded in a context, data that can be compared, data that can be gathered from individuals belonging to all hierarchical levels, allowing collection of a wide range of empirical evidence (practices, events, discourses, representations, artifacts, tools, object) (Rouleau, 2010).…”

Section: Discussion and Methodological Discussion And Methodological mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The need to perform these two movements, zoom in (here-and-now) and zoom out (elsewhere-and-then), is what inspires our proposal to use ethnography (Atkinson et al, 2001;Cunliffe, 2010Cunliffe, , 2015Nicolini, 2009a;Rasche & Chia, 2009) and the practice narratives (De La Ville & Mounoud, 2010;Fenton & Langley, 2011;Laslett, 1999;Rouleau, 2010) together. Ethnography and practice narratives appear interconnected in the figure in order to highlight their complementarities as data production empirical methods.…”

Section: To Study Strategizing As a Practice To Study Strategizing Asmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although they are not novel, they will be linked in a complementary way, through a strategy-as-practice lens. We propose a framework that brings together: Heiddeger's interpretative phenomenology (Chia & Holt, 2006;Gill, 2014;Küpers, 2009;Tsoukas, 2010), ethnography (Atkinson, Coffey, Delamont, Lofland, & Lofland, 2001;Cunliffe, 2010Cunliffe, , 2015Rasche & Chia, 2009), narrative of practice (De La Ville & Mounoud, 2010;Fenton & Langley, 2011;Laslett, 1999;Rouleau, 2010), and grounded theory (Bryant, 2017;Charmaz, 2000Charmaz, , 2006Corley, 2015;Goulding, 2002;Hendry et al, 2010;Strauss & Corbin, 1998).…”

Section: Introduction Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Qualitative Method Proposal for the Study of Strategy as Practice

2021

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Purpose: recently, the strategy as practice approach has sought to overcome the micro/macro dichotomy existing in its literature, as well as to better integrate the dimensions of praxis, practice and practitioner. To fill this gap, the aim of the paper is to discuss potential methods to guide empirical studies of strategy as practice (SAP). Method: the paper proposes a method based on an extensive literature review. Phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and narratives are discussed, and their components are presented in the context of strategy as practice studies. Results: the presented method articulates four approaches. Phenomenology is used to enhance the understanding of strategist experiences. Grounded theory is considered a method to develop theories about the studied phenomenon. Ethnography is used to contextualize the daily practices of strategists. Narratives are the path to access the stories of the strategists. Conclusion: the proposed method may be useful to overcome micro/macro dichotomy existing in strategy as practice literature and to integrate praxis, practice and practitioner dimensions.

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A narrative approach to strategy as practice: strategy-making from texts and narratives

Cited by 15 publications

References 61 publications

A universe of stories: Mobilizing narrative practices during transformative change

A universe of stories: Mobilizing narrative practices during transformative change

The Double Edge of Ambiguity in Strategic Planning

A Qualitative Method Proposal for the Study of Strategy as Practice

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