Filmic representations for organizational analysis: the characterization of a transplant organization in the film Rising Sun

Abstract

Science is a form of narrative that is regarded as the prime generator of knowledge. What about other forms of narratives such as novels and dramatic films? Claims this question is particularly important in organizational science because its narrative nature is easier to detect than is the case with the physical sciences. Using the metaphor of organizations as texts, contends that narrative fictions, especially films, are valuable sources in the study of organizations. What organizational researchers and film writers do are strikingly similar. For example, they enact rather than discover, test ideas against evidence, generalize, raise testable questions about the social world, and stay focused on the complexity of experience. An analysis of the film Rising Sun illustrates the use of narrative fiction as texts for organizational analysis. Discusses the implications of this approach.

Citation

Foreman, J. and Thatchenkery, T.J. (1996), "Filmic representations for organizational analysis: the characterization of a transplant organization in the film Rising Sun", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 44-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534819610116628