Narrative, or storytelling, is a tool increasingly used by business to effectively portray complex business issues in a manner which is engaging, comprehensive and easily comprehended. Instructors in a business school setting can also make use of narrative as a tool to engage their students in the complexities of business. The use of narrative places theoretical concepts in the context of actual (or hypothetical) business situations in a way that emphasizes the importance and the difficulties inherent in effective business decision-making. Where business decisions involve ethical issues, narrative is particularly effective because it illustrates the personal and emotional implications these decisions have to the decision-maker, the decision-maker’s organization and the organization’s broad array of stakeholders.
In the context of the delivery of ethics curriculum in business schools, storytelling can particularly engaging because of the emotional responses from students that these stories generate
