Strategy as Practice and the Narrative Turn

Abstract

This paper argues that organizational communication research, and in particular a perspective that focuses on narrative, can contribute in important ways to understanding the practices of strategy. Narrative is believed to be critical to sensemaking in organizations, and multiple levels and forms of narrative are inherent to strategic practices. For example, narrative can be found in the micro-stories told by managers and others as they interact and go about their daily work, in the formalized techniques for strategy-making whether or not the techniques are explicitly story-based, in the accounts people give of their work as strategy practitioners, and in the artefacts produced by strategizing activity. After exploring applications of narrative approaches to strategy praxis, practices, practitioners and text, we review two concepts that might serve to integrate micro and macro levels of analysis. Overall, narrative is seen as a way of giving meaning to the practice that emerges from sensemaking activities, of constituting an overall sense of direction or purpose, of refocusing organizational identity, and of enabling and constraining the ongoing activities of actors.

Qualitative research practices and family business scholarship: A review and future research agenda

“…First, the tradition of family business research has strong roots in business history, economic sociology and social anthropology where a wide range of research tools often associated with qualitative research (such as ethnography, participant observation and family memoirs archives/photographs/diaries), have been employed (Colli, 2012;Stewart, 2003Stewart, , 2014. Second, the underrealization of qualitative methods is also surprising given the surge of interest in qualitative inquiry in other areas of organization studies (Buchanan & Bryman, 2009) including the general management field (Alvesson & Deetz, 2000;Corley, 2011;Pratt, 2009;Thorpe & Holt, 2008) and sub-fields such as entrepreneurship (Neergaard & Ulhøi, 2007) and strategy (Fenton & Langley, 2011). Such discussion, as noted by Alvesson & Sköldberg (2000, p.4) referring to Silverman (1985); Denzin and Lincoln (1994), means that qualitative methodological discussions are well developed in other areas of the social sciences to the point that they even predominate in some.…”

Middle managers' knowledge of strategy: antecedents, cognitive accuracy and self-awareness

“…Many respondents express a preference and dependence on this communication channel, but also report major problems in usage and interpretation. The literature confirms the link between organisational communication and strategy execution and similarly uses the distinction between formal and informal communications (e.g., Fenton and Langley, 2011;Gray, 2008;Gay and D'Aprix, 2006;Tucker et al, 1996). Based on both the interviews and prior literature, two hypotheses emerged about the relationship between communication and strategy knowledge.…”

Estratégias e táticas empreendidas nas organizações familiares do Mercadão de Madureira (Rio de Janeiro)

“…• (WHITTINGTON, 1996;FENTON;LANGLEY, 2008;, que parte da interpretação de que os praticantes de estratégia realmente interagem. Além disso, usa-se a concepção de que a estratégia está associada à percepção do ambiente, dos recursos (financeiros e humanos) e do conhecimento do "como fazer" pelo(s) gestor(es) e suas atitudes perante essas situações.…”