Once upon a time : The role of rhetoric and narratives in management research and practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss a critical review of the role of rhetoric and narratives in management research and practice. Design/methodology/approach – Conceptual implications are drawn from the analysis and discussion of the papers of this special issue, as well as from previous literature. Findings – Managers and researchers will be unable to explore the potential of narratives and stories fully if, at the same time, they do not deeply comprehend the underpinnings of rhetoric. Originality/value – The paper further discusses the role of rhetoric and narratives in management research and practice and also explores the relationships between rhetoric and narratives.