1. Managing change and the role of polyphony -- 2. The role of utterances in communicating change -- 3. The role of dialogue in managing change -- 4. The role of dialectic in managing change -- 5. Styles of engagement : dialogue with dialectic -- 6. Polyphony and organizational learning -- 7....

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine how family and business priorities influence organisational decline and turnaround in a family business. Design/methodology/approach: Following critical realism as philosophical orientation, this research is based on an exploratory single case...

Narrative and dialogic modes of theorizing identity are both premised on textuality. However, theories of narrative identity tend towards unity and coherence (in accordance with the notion of narrative as constant and pre‐given), whereas the dialogic mode is more aligned with the postmodern...

Purpose – The purpose is to inspire a more Bakhtinian perspective of conversations in change communication. Inspiration is drawn from Bakhtin and argue that change management has, for too long, focused on monologic implementation of predetermined change, i.e. how to develop the “best...

Draws attention to the value of myths for therapeutic purposes; cleansing oneself of addiction to theory. Espouses the need for moving beyond the rigidity of types and quantification of change. Attempts to loosen these types and to prepare the ground for their consideration side by side with...

Purpose – This paper aims to show that the knowledge that many change efforts fail to deliver meaningful results is by no means new, but understanding why this is the case remains an important issue for those involved in the management of change. In this paper, the authors question the current...

Examines the role of narrative in management development. It contrasts the characteristics of this genre with the more conventional approach to management development. Using a management of change course delivered to management practitioners as an example, the paper draws attention to the value...

Recent work in change management has emphasized the role of feedback in creating a readiness for, and contributing to acceptance of, the need for change. This article illustrates the development and application of an intervention protocol where differences in perceptual location among team...

Purpose – This paper proposes a perspective of change agency that builds on the regenerative power of language achieved through ongoing talk and conversations associated with managing change. It seeks to elaborate on the role of speech in helping one to see change as a continuous stream of...