Message-ID: <Pine.A41.3.95q.970502144701.93060A-100000@paris.NMSU.Edu> Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 15:09:39 -0600 From: JC WANDEMBERG <mailto:juwandem@NMSU.Edu> Subject: Re: Narratives as determinants of Organizational structure? I To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Dear Jim, why don't you try to go back one step to determine what is the context within which the "Policy narratives" take place to see whether changing this context may alter "the result" and hence the "behavior" of the organization?I do not doubt that an infinite variety of narratives may be possible to increase "participation" but what 'type' of participation do we want? do we want Pretty's #1 (passive p.)?, #2 (informative p.)?, #3 (consultative p.)?, or #4 ("bought" p.)? we can certainly get any of these types of participation which are useless (in the sense that we want it to be sustainable) but if what we want is either of Pretty's # 5 (functional p.), #6 ( Interactive p.), or #7 (self-mobilization), then I wish you good luck!.
As a final note I must add that I'm not arguing about "what" runs an organization but the 'structure' within which that "what" takes place (in a previous note you said: "policy narratives are what run organizations--and each one has a different one. If the organization doesn't have one dominant narrative, then it is in trouble and competing narratives are jockeying for position, if there is any life in the organization at all.")
===========> On Fri, 2 May 1997, Jim Worstell wrote: > Policy narratives are "the 'result' of a conscious and deliberate effort
> which in turn is the 'cause' of the "behavior" of an organization."
>
> A strongly bureaucratic narrative might say: Don't think, just do as I
> say. But an infinite variety of narratives are possible which could
> increase participation in some aspects of the organization while
> decreasing it in another.
>
> Please consider reading Emery Roe, 1994. Narrative Policy Analysis. Duke
> University Press, if you want to know more.
Thank you for the suggestion, I have, but unfortunately the organizational structure underlying the "narratives" remains unquestioned!
Best regards, ************************************************************ |J.C. Wandemberg |
|Ph.D Graduate Researcher |
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|INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NATURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL |
|& CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IIRM) |
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|URL:http://web.nmsu.edu/~juwandem Email:mailto:juwandem@nmsu.edu |
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Note: The opinions expressed here are the exclusive responsibility of its author and do not necessarily represent that of IIRM.