Understanding Organizational Narrative-Counter-narratives Dynamics:: An overview of Communication Constitutes Organization (CCO) and Storytelling Organization Theory (SOT) approaches

There is a rich tradition of studying narratives in the fields of communication and language at work. Our purpose is to review two approaches to narrative-counter-narrative dynamics. The first is ‘storytelling organization theory’ (SOT), which interplays western retrospective-narrative ways of knowing with more indigenous ways of knowing called ‘living stories’, ‘pre-narrative’ and ‘pre-story’, and the prospective-‘antenarrative’ practices. The second is the communication as constitutive of organization (CCO) approach to narrative-counter-narrative. Both SOT and CCO deconstruct dominant narratives about communication and language at work. Both theories revisit, challenge, and to some extent cultivate counter-narratives. SOT seeks to go beyond and beneath the narrative-counter-narrative ‘dialectic’ in an antenarrative approach. CCO pursues counter-narratives as a useful tool to make tensions within and between organizations and society, salient as they may contest or negotiate dominant narratives, which hinder the organization from benefitting from less powerful counter-narratives

Using an ethnostatistical analysis to interpret data: the Nike case

This study reviews a 1997 study released by Nike to resolve wage controversies in subcontracted Asian factories. An ethnostatistical analysis is provided to show how the application of the three levels of ethnostatistics can help us understand differing interpretations of the same data. The current analysis is evidence of the way in which context, assumptions and methodology, and rhetoric and language can influence the outcome of quantitative studies. The current study is an important methodological note because academic researchers are being called to answer important questions regarding the global operations of transnational corporations. This raises the question of our role as academic researchers and what standards, such as validity and reliability, should be met

Neoliberalism in the North American University: Toward Integrating Divisions in Agent Orientation Via a Follettian Differentiated Relational Ontology

This paper uses observations from empirical articles and personal experiences of the authors to explore issues associated with the rise of neoliberalism and academic capitalism in the contemporary public university. It frames these issues as stemming from conflicting ontologies between academicians who adhere to the differentiated individual ontology and university administrators who favor the undifferentiated individual ontology. To overcome the disconnect, a differentiated relational ontology that adheres to principles of Mary Parker Follett and Alfred North Whitehead is proposed. The driving force behind this ontology can be highlighted through a communicated crisis, and a specific application of Follett’s differentiated relational ontology is Ensemble Learning Theory (ELT). A potential limitation of this study is generalizability, because the focus is centered on North American public universities and anecdotes are used to characterize a broader educational problem. This evolution is pertinent to academicians and administrators because the ontological impasse experienced in North American public universities threatens their existence as institutions, and has a broader and potentially negative impact on the quality of educational focus and output

A ‘storytelling science’ approach making the eco-business modeling turn

Purpose: To develop a transdisciplinary ecological-business model paradigm (eco-business modelling). Design Methodology Approach: We do that in four steps. First step is an analysis of the ways triple bottom line and circular economy emplotments have colonized and co-opted the United Nations and European Union Agenda 2030 initiatives by privileging business-as-usual scenarios of ‘sustainable development. Findings: The challenge is instead to create comprehensive ecological business models that foster worst-case and best case scenario comparisons with status quo business-as-usual. Originality Value: We propose that business modeling is about storytelling, making ‘bets on the future’ scenarios and propose a ‘five worlds of storytelling model’ to business modeling. Research Implications: ‘New Business models’ (NBMs) research is getting beyond silo building to develop interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary theory, research, and praxis that is ecologically accountable. The contribution is to propose a ‘self-correcting’ storytelling method of iterative, ‘crossover storytelling conversations’ as a way of developing collaborative ‘interdisciplinary research projects’ across specialized business model disciplines. We contend that self-correcting storytelling conversations fit scientific methods of inquiry to allow business modelers comparison of alternative future scenarios for more effective risk management. Practical Implications: We call for crossover conversations that challenge unintended consequences of the triple bottom line and circular economy business models. Social Implications: With ozone depletion, climate change, natural resource depletion, loss of biodiversity and habitat — there are pressures to develop ecologically sensitive business models. Classification: Conceptual Paper Key words: eco-business models, storytelling, triple bottom line, circular economy, scenario-analysis, transdisciplinary conversation

The Fifth Epoch: Socio-Economic Approach to Sustainable Capitalism

The purpose of this conceptual essay is to challenge the inevitability of living with the destructive beast of speculative market economics in the 4th epoch of global capitalism. We are facing an existential socio-ecological threat from the short-term excesses of financial capitalism, a socially irresponsible form that consumes without producing value and without bearing entrepreneurial risk, benefitting only the few. The fate of roughly 90% of humanity hangs in the balance. The primary contribution of this paper proposes a 5th epoch of capitalism, inspired by Savall and Zardet’s socio-economic and sustainable approach that restores human potential and value creation to spacetimemattering. Applying their conceptual innovation moves capitalism to a Bernácer-Perroux economic universe, with a different curvature capable of reconfiguring organizational story spacetime and resituating the antenarrative of global capitalism