Sonenshein (2010) We’re changing—or are we? Untangling the role of progressive, regressive, and stability narratives during strategic change implementation

Question 1

Narrative is used to shape own understanding (sensemaking), as a tool to influence other’s understanding (sensegiving) and the outcome is the collective construction of meaning

Answer 1

• Progressive: change leads to improved organization = GOOD
• Regressive: change leads to worse organization = BAD
• Stability narrative: organization is not undergoing major change, status quo remains Used to reduce uncertainty or to preserve existing org. meanings

Question 2

Meanings can present change as preservational or transformational

Answer 2

o Preservational: small adjustments, preserve existing meanings. Insignificant change
Unfreeze through progressive narratives, moving meanings to new construct
o Transformational: wide in scope, new org. meanings. Significant change.
Freezing existing meaning by stability narratives

Question 3

Meanings can be supportive or subversive

Answer 3

o Supportive: consistent with managerial intentions, positive
o Subversive: undermined managerial views of change, negative

Question 4

Conclusion

Answer 4

Managers do unfreeze to construct new narratives for employees. Unfrozen employees add details to this narratives, so employee narratives might end up in different direction.
o However, managers could also decide to keep employees in freeze.