組織敘說：組織研究的敘說轉向

Organization Narrative: The Narrative Turn in Organizational Study

近年來，敘說探究已成為社會科學界廣受重視的質性研究方法之一，在這種「敘說轉向」（narrative turn）的趨勢下，也帶動了組織研究視角的轉移，從視組織為單一個體，轉向為視組織研究在探究織組（organizing）過程，組織不是固定不變的個體，而是不同角色個人在不斷流變的狀態中，形成不同群體，產生不同影響的歷程。本研究首先檢視此種後現代研究觀興起的脈絡，再比較「組織」和「織組」（organizing）意義的差別，然後提出兩種敘說探究在組織研究上常見的應用：對工作經驗的理解和對認同的看待。我們認為，組織研究的敘說轉向，不只是「增添」一種新的質性研究方法、提供一種研究進路的「新」選項；而是代表了對管理科學與組織研究主流的「邏輯實證論」認識論預設的一種根本性改寫與質疑。除了這層在理論研究上的學術意義，更是對當前管理實務所面臨到的實際問題，一種具體的回應與作法。敘說不只是敘說，「敘說轉向」代表著對「去脈絡化」的管理知識與實務的反省，強調蓄積「庶民智慧」與「個人理論」的重視，主張通過「敘說理解」與「敘說認知模式」的開採，從具體的問題情境與人類實踐經驗中，開採出有助理解實務的管理知識。

In the past few decades, narrative inquiry as a qualitative methodology has received increasing attention in Social Sciences. Given the trend toward narrative turn in organizational studies, the view of organization as an individual entity has shifted to one that takes organization as a combination of idiosyncratic collectives - shaped by individuals with distinguished roles developed in the dynamic processes in the organization. In short, organization is no longer taken as a static entity, and research focus has been shifted to organizing processes. This study reviews the context mentioned above - the boost up of the postmodern perspective in organizational studies, makes the comparison between the meanings of “organization” and “organizing,” and suggests two sorts of applications concerning how narrative inquiry may be related to the studies on “identity” and “understanding of practical experiences” in organizational studies. We suggest that this “narrative turn” in organizational studies not only adds a new type of qualitative methodology as a “new” alternative in research approach, but also presents as a fundamental questioning and revision to the prerequisite of epistemology of “Logical Positivism” in management science and organizational study. Aside from the theoretical implications, it also offers a practical response and a method for the real problems encountered by current managerial practices. Narrative is more than narrating;” narrative turn” represents the introspection of “decontextualized” managerial knowledge and practice. It highlights the value of “personal theory” and the accumulation of “folk wisdom,” and suggests that useful managerial knowledge may be acquired through the extraction of “narrative knowing” and “model of narrative cognition.