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Anti-dialogic positioning in change stories: Bank robbers, saviours and peons

  • Nic Beech
  • , Stacy A. MacPhail
  • , Christine Coupland

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Stories people tell of going through change incorporate and react to others around them. Positions can be taken in stories that tend towards the monological, having a singular perspective and being somewhat sealed off from others. Alternatively, stories can tend towards the dialogical, a multiple, less certain and more interactive mode. We explore multiple stories of an organizational change and analyse a paradoxical situation that emerges. We argue that although the stories may have the appearance of being dialogical, they can be seen as co-existing but self-sealing, or anti-dialogic. We introduce an interruption to the story and discuss a possibility for challenging anti-dialogic positioning in change stories.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)335-352
    Number of pages18
    JournalOrganization Studies (OS)
    Volume16
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - May 2009

    Keywords

    • Dialogue
    • Fantasy
    • Insulating identity work
    • Self-sealing stories

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Business,Management and Accounting
    • Strategy and Management
    • Management of Technology and Innovation

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