Stories as Cultural Creativity: On the Relation Between Symbolism and Politics in Organizational Change

Abstract

The organization theory literature on stories concentrates on the role stories play in political processes, especially the representative and integrative aspects. In this essay, I will build on this literature by introducing Victor Turner's work on cultural change. Stories will be seen as not only representing and integrating political process, but also creating them. By focusing on the creative aspect of stories, their role in organizational change is highlighted. This framework is applied to stories about a change of leadership in an electronics company. Two conclusions emerge. First, stories are a form of cultural creativity that can be used to mediate conflicts and contradictions that arise from changing circumstances. Second, stories, despite the fact that they are a form of cultural change, can have a negative influence on the process of organizational change.