Storytelling is part of social action and interaction that actually shapes the future of organizations. Organization and management studies have overwhelmingly focused to date on rational narrative structures with beginnings, middles, and ends, where narrative has proved to be a handy concept in qualitative studies. Far less attention is given however to the more spontaneous and ‘non-staged’ storytelling that occurs in organizations. Storytelling and the Future of Organizations explores the science and practice of ‘antenarrative’ because that is how the future of organization is shaped. Antenarrative is a term invented by David M. Boje in 2001, and is defined as a ‘bet on the future,’ as ‘before’ narrative linearity, coherence, and stability sets in. Antenarrative is all about ’prospective sensemaking,’ betting on the future before narrative retrospection fossilizes the past. Antenarrative storytelling is therefore agential in ways that traditional narratology has yet to come to grips with. This handbook contribution is bringing together a decade of scholarship on ‘antenarrative.’ It is the first volume to offer such a varied but systematic examination of non-traditional narrative inquiry in the management realm, organizing and developing its approach, and providing new insights for management students and scholars.

Pioneering thinker in organizational communication David Boje here compiles a collection of new essays on the theme of ‘antenarrative,’ or non-linear narrative, as applied to organizations and business, bringing together different approaches and philosophical interpretations of the concept.

This book shows how to work with stories and narrative approaches in almost all fields of action of a company, and demonstrates the added value resulting from a holistic narrative perspective. The authors take thereby a practice-based perspective from the viewpoint of managing directors, the C-suite, organizational developers, corporate communicators and advisers with a rich description of the methods and implementation. By the employment of these narrative methods, leadership styles, communication, knowledge and change management can be planned in such a way that on the one hand the identity-core of the enterprise remains always apparent and on the other, the organization can develop in an agile fashion into the future.

This pioneering edited collection explores the question of how organizations manage the future. Moving away from traditional research which focuses on the past, the editors problematize the future as an inherent but under-examined part of organizing. Arguing that the future acts as both a driver of and a performative result of organizing, the book asks how organizations conceptualize and deal with the future and what processes are in place to handle things to come. With empirical research examining the practices, discourses and concepts that play key roles, organizations and their approaches are scrutinized. A timely compendium of theoretical discussion and practical implications on the relevance of the future, this book is essential reading for those interested in organization, sociology and management studies.

"The way we manage organizations seems increasingly out of date. Deep inside, we sense that more is possible. We long for soulful workplaces, for authenticity, community, passion, and purpose. In this groundbreaking book, the author shows that every time, in the past, when humanity has shifted to a new stage of consciousness, it has achieved extraordinary breakthroughs in collaboration. A new shift in consciousness is currently underway. Could it help us invent a more soulful and purposeful way to run our businesses and nonprofits, schools and hospitals? A few pioneers have already cracked the code and they show us, in practical detail, how it can be done. Leaders, founders, coaches, and consultants will find this work a joyful handbook, full of insights, examples, and inspiring stories."--Page [4] of cover.

Throughout the history of business employees had to adapt to managers and managers had to adapt to organizations. In the future this is reversed with managers and organizations adapting to employees. This means that in order to succeed and thrive organizations must rethink and challenge everything they know about work. The demographics of employees are changing and so are employee expectations, values, attitudes, and styles of working. Conventional management models must be replaced with leadership approaches adapted to the future employee. Organizations must also rethink their traditional structure, how they empower employees, and what they need to do to remain competitive in a rapidly changing world. This is a book about how employees of the future will work, how managers will lead, and what organizations of the future will look like. The Future of Work will help you: Stay ahead of the competition Create better leaders Tap into the freelancer economy Attract and retain top talent Rethink management Structure effective teams Embrace flexible work environments Adapt to the changing workforce Build the organization of the future And more The book features uncommon examples and easy to understand concepts which will challenge and inspire you to work differently.

“All marketers should heed [the] advice” of this brand marketing guru in his latest book on digital storytelling.” —Joseph V. Tripodi, former Chief Marketing Officer, Subway and Coca-Cola Stories are orders of magnitude which are more effective than facts at achieving attention, persuading, being remembered, and inspiring involvement. Signature stories?intriguing, authentic, and involving narratives?apply the power of stories to communicate a strategic message. Marketing professionals, coping with the digital revolution and the need to have their strategic message heard internally and externally, are realizing that a digital strategy revolves around content and that content is stories. Creating Signature Stories shows organizations how to introduce storytelling into their strategic messaging, and guides organizations to find, or even create, signature stories and leverage them over time. With case studies built into every chapter, organizations will realize the power of storytelling to energize readers, gain visibility, persuade audiences, and inspire action.

Since the early 2000s, storytelling as a means of managerial communication has been increasingly advocated, with a focus on the management practices of leadership, change and organizational culture. Most research on storytelling in management practice derives from practitioner experience, but little is known about the specific dynamics behind storytelling as a tool for managerial communication. This book derives from one of the first research studies into storytelling in management practice, which sought to evaluate the assumed, but not necessarily proven, effectiveness of storytelling as a management tool. Building on existing theories of narrative and storytelling in organizations, the book explores how managers use storytelling in their daily practice, revealing that it can be employed both, purposively - like a tool, and perceptively - spontaneously and intuitively. The book explains that storytelling has different functions in management practice at different levels of the organization, such as: Creating direction for the organization Translating strategic messages into operational ones and supporting the professional development of staff Shaping the organization’s social fabric through the sharing of personal stories Aided by a wealth of interviews and case studies, Storytelling in Management Practice reveals an analysis of the dynamic relationship between story, storyteller, audience and organizational context. As such, it will be useful for students and researchers working across a variety of sub-disciplines, including: leadership, organizational behaviour and business communication.

Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the world of work has undergone a lasting transformation. Individuals, organizations and institutions are seeking the right balance of workspace opportunities. Workers want to know how remote work can fit into their lives, and how the office can meet their needs. In The Workplace You Need Now: Shaping Spaces for the Future of Work, work environment executives and experts Dr. Sanjay Rishi, Benjamin Breslau and Peter Miscovich deliver a practical framework for how to plan, invest in and create effective digital/physical hybrid workplaces that are beginning to define the world of work. The book explores paths to creating new workplaces that drive the four C's of value: culture, collaboration, creativity, and community. It walks you through the design of custom, flexible, digitally integrated workplaces that manifest new ways of working, and attract tomorrow's top talent. You'll discover the personalized, responsible, and experiential workplace that individuals and organizations alike seek to encourage human interaction, and fuel creativity and growth. You’ll learn the path to the purposeful, resilient workplace that incorporates the emerging imperatives of health, wellness and environmental sustainability. Rich with examples from leading organizations from across the globe, The Workplace You Need Now is an indispensable resource for individuals, as well as businesses of all shapes and sizes trying to find the right solution that works for them right now.

Scenario planning is the principles, methods, and techniques for looking forward into the future and trying to anticipate and influence what is to come next. This book provides students and line managers in organizations with the means to create better scenarios and to use them to create winning business strategies. The purpose is to shed new light on scenarios and scenario-like thinking in organizations for managers at every level within a company. The book covers scenarios such as: economic outlooks; political environments; acquisitions; downsizing, and more.