2 Story genres

Genres are forms of stories that share common features. Stories told within organisations tend to conform to one genre or another. When stories of a particular genre are dominant within organisations, the genre could be said to be typical of a mood that defines that organisation. It is important, therefore, that you pay attention to the type of story you are telling, because each story helps set a certain mood and resultant expectations. Moreover, being aware of the types of stories common within an organisation will give you a sense of the type of organisation you are dealing with, and the kinds of challenges you can expect within it.

The organisational researcher Yiannis Gabriel pioneered the genre view of storytelling, developing a typology of genres (Gabriel, 2000), which you will now learn about.