A Narrative Approach to Organization Studies

by Barbara Czarniawska (Editor)

From setting up the fieldwork to writing up the research, this volume takes readers through the narrative approach to qualitative research with a focus on organization studies. Inspired by the work of Bakhtin, Eco, Rorty and Silverman, the author demonstrates that narratives are still the main carriers of knowledge in all societies.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 1997

About the author

Barbara Czarniawska (formerly known as Barbara Czarniawska-Joerges) is an organization theorist, best known for her contributions to constructivism theory in management studies as well as storytelling and narrative analysis in anthropology of organization.

Reviews

[Roman Purshaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I look at the narrative approach, I definitely feel compelled by Czarniawska’s argument. However, I think that she does not address the issue of access in a cohesive way, proposing no viable solutions. That, in my opinion, is a central concern. If one does overcome this hurdle, my concern then is whether the work of a researcher slowly transforms into that of a journalist who arrives in a field with a sense of suspicion toward the power-brokers or those who exercise authority in the organizational hierarchy. In the end, Czarniawska does suggest that the postmodern approach is the best for narrative-based research. Lastly, I wonder how effective narrative research can be in instances where multiple organizations are to be studied. Can one afford such deep immersion when more than one organization is in view?