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Narrative Change: How Changing the Story Can Transform Society, Business, and Ourselves Hardcover – July 28, 2020

by Hans Hansen (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 417 ratings
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Texas prosecutors are powerful: in cases where they seek capital punishment, the defendant is sentenced to death over ninety percent of the time. When management professor Hans Hansen joined Texas’s newly formed death penalty defense team to rethink their approach, they faced almost insurmountable odds. Yet while Hansen was working with the office, they won seventy of seventy-one cases by changing the narrative for death penalty defense. To date, they have succeeded in preventing well over one hundred executions―demonstrating the importance of changing the narrative to change our world.

In this book, Hansen offers readers a powerful model for creating significant organizational, social, and institutional change. He unpacks the lessons of the fight to change capital punishment in Texas―juxtaposing life-and-death decisions with the efforts to achieve a cultural shift at Uber. Hansen reveals how narratives shape our everyday lives and how we can construct new narratives to enact positive change. This narrative change model can be used to transform corporate cultures, improve public services, encourage innovation, craft a brand, or even develop your own leadership.

Narrative Change provides an unparalleled window into an innovative model of change while telling powerful stories of a fight against injustice. It reminds us that what matters most for any organization, community, or person is the story we tell about ourselves―and the most effective way to shake things up is by changing the story.
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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Columbia Business School Publishing
  4. Publication date
    July 28, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.5 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0231184425
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0231184427
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a smart and eminently readable treatment of a novel approach to social, organizational, and personal change through the analysis and alteration of embedded―and often unrecognized―cultural narratives. Practical applications of Hans Hansen’s thoughtful approach to narrative change are provided throughout the book highlighted by an impressive, first-hand account of how a small team of social justice advocates was able to change the way the death penalty operates in Texas. The writing is lively and enthusiastic, and carries readers along a storyline that rests on solid scholarship and considerable social science research. A must-read for those interested in the role our narratives play in maintaining or transforming the status quo. -- John Van Maanen, emeritus professor of organization studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of Tales of the Field

The way Hans has changed the death penalty in Texas has been miraculous! If his narrative change methods can work on that inexorable institution, they can work anywhere. If Hans says this is the way to change something, just do it! -- Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

Hansen shows us how narrative theory can be used for social change in a way that is both theoretically simple and eminently practical―an unusual combination in modern approaches to change. He does this by telling the story of how he inadvertently got involved with fighting the death penalty in Texas and the surprising success they had when they used these ideas. This is not only a must-read for anyone interested in social change, it is a great story that is nearly impossible to put down. -- Steven S. Taylor, professor of leadership and creativity and dean ad interim, Foisie Business School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Hans Hansen has produced a brilliant, thought-provoking, and inspiring book on how narrative models can influence organizational change. Drawing on compelling institutional and organizational examples, the book scores highly for logic of argument and clarity of exposition. Rich in concepts, it offers a unique perspective on change management; every page has something fascinating and important to say. -- John Hassard, Alliance Manchester Business School

I started out thinking this was the best business book I have ever read. I was wrong. It’s the best book I’ve ever read. Period. -- LoNita Sharp, global HR professional

About the Author

Hans Hansen is associate professor of management in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, where he is also the director of the Center for Innovative Organizations, and an Embrey Human Rights Fellow at Southern Methodist University. He is coeditor of The SAGE Handbook of New Approaches in Management and Organization (2008).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia Business School Publishing (July 28, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231184425
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231184427
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.5 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 417 ratings

About the author

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Hans Hansen

Hans Hansen

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Hans Hansen is an Associate Professor of Management at Texas Tech and an Embrey Human Rights Fellow at SMU. His research interests are broadly related to meaning making and the methods to inquire into those meanings. Hans specializes in qualitative methods and organizational theory, and his research articles have been published in the Journal of Management Studies, Organizational Research Methods, Human Relations, Organization Studies, Journal of Management Inquiry, and even Law Reviews. Dr. Hansen has held positions at the Kellogg School of Management, Stanford University, Copenhagen Business School, and Victoria University New Zealand. He has consulted for non-profits and Fortune 500 companies, from designing change programs to creating transformational cultures and strong brand identities.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
417 global ratings
A story to understand how we think we think.
5 Stars
A story to understand how we think we think.
I was surprised how quickly I read and how much I enjoyed this book. This book is an eye opener for people interested in 1. How the Death Penalty works and has changed over the years in West Texas and 2. How stories and narratives shape how we learn, speak and act as adults.A phrase from the book I took to heart: “people reenact narratives, even when they are detrimental to them.” - along with various examples, it really got me thinking, what am I doing because of some engrained norm that is actually hurting myself or others? If my generation is supposed to be the change that makes the world a better place, why are we still doing the same things our predecessors did? I hope for myself and others, this book can help gain a foothold to a better understanding of how we create the narrative, it’s our decision to keep repeating history, or change it to a better one.
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Top reviews from the United States

Melinda P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book very insightful on hidden knowledge of life
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2023
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I purchased this book because we needed it for class. Usually books that have to be bought for a class are boring and I lose interest pretty quick. It was different with this one. This book had a lot of different content ranging from his personal experiences to how I can use different things in my own life as I continue to grow. There was never a time in the book where I lost interest as there seemed to be meaningful information on every page. Overall this book was well worth my time and its a book I can definitely use in my future. If you are debating buying this book, do it. There is information in this book that I will continue using in my life as theres so many different examples that I can relate to on a personal level and that is my biggest takeaway from reading this. Narrative Change was a great read and Dr. Hansen did a fantastic job handling fascinating topics and turning them in to educational purposes using his real world examples and personal views from his own experiences. 10/10
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Carisa McCabe
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book!! - Carisa McCabe
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023
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Hans Hansen's "Narrative Change" is hands down one of the most intriguing books I have had to read for a class. As a reader, the book left me with valuable insights and a renewed perspective on the role narratives play in our lives! A key take-away I learned from this book was that individual narratives matter. Hansen's emphasis on the significance of individual narratives resonated deeply with me. Recognizing that personal stories contribute to the broader societal narrative has heightened my awareness of the stories I tell myself and the importance of authenticity in crafting my own narrative. On a personal level, I intend to incorporate the book's teachings into my daily life. This includes being more mindful of the narratives I consume, actively seeking out diverse voices, and continually reassessing and reshaping my own personal narrative.
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Margaret Ensminger
5.0 out of 5 stars A great lesson on how to change the system, or status-quo
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
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Hans Hansen is an agent of chaos like no other. He took on the overwhelming task of rewriting the narrative on how capital punishment trials operate in Texas. He explains how we all enact narratives, sometimes unaware, and only by becoming aware of the narratives we go by, can we enact change.

Hansen had his team rewrite the way they would defend inmates on death row, giving them every possibility to have the death penalty revoked - should they not get life in prison instead. It is truly an inspirational story as we see how he rewrote the narrative, not only on the death penalty, but in his own personal life and how we can apply it to our lives, businesses, or society in general. I can only pray that one day, as a lawyer, I can create my own narratives, deviating from the status quo, so I can do for the Texas foster system what he did to the death penalty - change it for the better.

I would recommend this read to anyone that wants to enact change in their life, as awareness is the first step. This book will have you questioning what you currently believe, and how you were led to believe it in the first place.
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Michelle A Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars Change is necessary
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2021
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Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gave me a new way of thinking and observing things. The main idea of this book is to try and deviate from the old way of doing things and adopt a newfound perspective that will enable you to do as you deem necessary. Most of the time, we are on autopilot when we encounter things or ideas; we have been wired to assess certain problems and/or situations a certain way. Being able to create your own narrative to live by is a cool idea and a very beneficial one. It will allow you to think outside of the norm and have a more unique way of thinking things out. I can see how this can only benefit you - if you do not use it to control how others behave around you - of course. You can use this device to find nuances of things that you never knew were there. You can create a pool of new ideas that could lead to the next big innovation. Similarly to how Hansen used it to create a new way of going about the Death Penalty, you could use it to change how you and or others around you go about whatever dilemma is at hand. This would be valuable for anyone in their future career, especially if they plan on managing groups of people. They could take the narrative construction idea and use it to better enhance any team's customer service, HR management, and employee reactions to angry customers. They would essentially use it as a game plan for as many situations that occur in the workforce. Just like Hansen states, it would be a “go by” gameplan. I cannot see how that would benefit the team as they will be prepared for most if not all discrepancies. This could also lead to talent acquisition from the surrounding areas as many employees will feel more comfortable to approach a situation, which will inevitably create a more welcoming environment. On the other hand, this book could be valuable for future readers as it is extremely relevant in our ever changing work environment. Being able to deviate from the old ways of doing things is a plus, but being able to create new ways of doing things is the prize. We are in an information age, everything changes, so being able to change with it, is the pearl inside the oyster. My favorite line from this book by far is, “...knowing how to narrate change will help you transform the world, or just yourself. Both are valuable, and there may not be as much difference between the two as you think.” This line from the book resonated with me greatly as I am still trying to find out my place in this forgiving world we call home. But I feel like I’ll have a significantly better chance of doing so by understanding the world as a whole. Most people hate embracing change, but this book has encouraged me to do so. Wayne Dyer said it best, “if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change.”
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Discriminating Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars A perspective-shifting book
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023
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The practiced theories and models discussed in this book have opened my eyes to understanding how to effectively make changes in any aspect of life. Following along with the story of Hans changing the narrative of the justice system and the experiences he has encountered along the way kept me hooked and entertained throughout the entirety of the book. I appreciate how it is not just one straight story, he brings in examples to better understand the significance of his findings and experiences to make it easy to follow and keep you engaged. I am someone who learns well from analogies and putting things into a relatable context, and he executes this very well. I have always enjoyed books that delve into the way the mind works and how to use it to our advantage, if you are someone who enjoys understanding the psychology and philosophy behind the way we think and act, you will love this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

Denise Withers
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent case study that brings the somewhat abstract concept of narrative change to life.
Reviewed in Canada on May 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
Stories are the operating system that rule our world, influencing everything we think, say and do. Yet, we go through our days largely oblivious of their impact. In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Hansen takes us through a compelling case study to show us how a narrative can literally mean the difference between life and death - then gives us a practical model to use to understand and change narratives in our own world. It's a must-read for today's purpose-driven leaders to help them understand how they can use stories to change themselves and their culture.
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