A narrative framework for management ideas: Disclosing the plots of knowledge management in a multinational company

Abstract

We extend research on management ideas by providing a narrative framework for studying how management ideas are consumed. We dwell upon Certeau’s (1984) work on the practice of consumption and Ricœur’s (1983) concept of emplotment. Specifically, we study, over a 20-year time period, how Cement Inc., a multinational company, adopted and used knowledge management (KM) ideas and practices. We disclose the consumption of KM at Cement Inc. through four plots that provide an account not only in terms of adopting and using, but also in terms of organizational and individual experiences. We show that knowledge management ideas are co-consumed through multiple, iterative, continuous emplotments, unfolding at multiple levels across time, people and practices.We argue that our narrative framework makes two contributions. First, it provides an integrative view of the consumption of management ideas and proves a helpful device for making sense of an enormous amount of data. Second, it allows unity as well as multiplicity in analysis of the consumption process: one story is told from many different perspectives and results in broader understanding.

The Active Audience? Gurus, Management Ideas and Consumer Variability

“…Here, organizational members are portrayed as active agents in the ‘consumption’ of different popular management ideas (e.g. Ansari, Fiss and Zajac, ; Birkinshaw, Hamel and Mol, ; Corbett‐Etchevers and Mounoud, ; Mueller and Whittle, ; Røvik, ; Wilhelm and Bort, ; Zbaracki, ) . More specifically, a growing stream of research stresses that, within the particular context of organizational implementation, organizational members' responses to these ideas are: ‘riddled with ambiguity and range from open resistance to manipulation to internalization’ (Kelemen, , p. 483; see also Boiral, ; Kostova and Roth, ; Nicolai and Dautwiz, ; Sturdy, ; Watson, ).…”

How Managers Talk about their Consumption of Popular Management Concepts: Identity, Rules and Situations

“…In observing this shortcoming, researchers recently shifted their attention towards the consumption and usage of popular concepts within organizations (e.g. Corbett‐Etchevers and Mounoud, ; Gabriel, ; Nicolai and Dautwiz, ). These researchers are particularly interested in depicting concept consumers as ‘involving a variety of different groups with their own specific backgrounds, local problems and interests’ (Heusinkveld, Sturdy and Werr, , p. 144).…”

“…Focusing on the consumption of concepts moves the actors responsible for the enactment of a popular concept within an organization to the forefront of inquiry (cf. Corbett‐Etchevers and Mounoud, ). We contribute to this emerging stream of research by analysing the discourses that result when managers talk about how popular management concepts are enacted within their organizations.…”

Exploring the practical wisdom of mētis for management learning

“…Toulmin, 2001;Latiche and Statler, 2005). This is surprising, given the commonplace association of organizational processes and managerial work with cleverness and tricks (Collin et al, 2011), intrigue, manipulation and political agendas (Tosey, 1989), or the skillful navigation of formal structures (Corbett-Etchevers and Mounoud, 2011).…”