Grand Narrative used to refer to the ‘Big Story’ or ‘organising principle’ of a country or religious movement but nowadays this applies to large corporations, especially multinationals by virtue of their size. It also shows how the postmodern world is blurring boundaries as large corporates of today have many characteristics similar to religions and kingdoms.
A way in which identity is expressed (created?) is through stories that underpin the Grand Narrative. The big stories become especially powerful because they are often retold and referred to in the media.
Grand Narrative is vitally important. In the absence of a good guiding story, when the narrative collapses, people become become capable of anything. The media is filled with examples of this every day.
Equally important are the stories told by multinational companies and organisations that make people want to queue to buy the latest iPod, take Prozac, listen to music or even go to war. The Grand Narrative serves to create a collective identity for an organisation or community – a way in which shared values are expressed and within which people do what they do.
In multinationals.and larger organisations identity is expressed in a statement of mission, vision, values, purpose and measures and is told in stories that underline certain key organisational values and aspects of the organisational dynamic such as customer-centricity, integrity, innovation amongst others. These stories are generally told by those in leadership and positions of influence. Particularly good stories in this genre create a sense of meaning and history. This is our collective experience. Or is it? What do you think makes a story motivating? Are you living in a motivating story?
The time has come for us to rise above difference and start telling a story about the future of us: the human species. We have a great common history, but we’re too defensive and fearful to see similarity with our competitors and enemies; the others, the strangers, the foreign and obscure. This belongs in our Grand Narrative:
