Excavating the Paths of Meaning, Renewal, and Empowerment

Although myths have been comprehensively examined at a cultural or macro level in organizational studies, they have received little attention at an individual level of analysis. This article uses Campbell's "hero's journey" as an analogy for understanding managerial performance myths. The article begins with a review of the literature on individual myths and the hero's journey and then turns to an empirical exploration of managerial high-performance myths. A typology of managerial high-performance myths is derived from data on high-performance experiences. Each of the four myths assumes a different meaning structure. The findings suggest a model for the construction of individual meaning systems in organizations. They also provide important insights on empowerment, leadership, and high performance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68602/2/10.1177_105649269541005.pd