THE BUSINESS REVIEW FOR PROCUREMENT LEADERS
By Mike Lewis and Elmer Bakker
Stories and storytelling are as common in organisational life as they are elsewhere, providing sources of information that shape both our perceptions and our behaviour. But while some stories offer valuable insights, others can be misleading and potentially damaging. Understanding how stories are used - and abused - is vital if procurement functions are to benefit from the former and avoid the latter.
Using the "tipping point" theory developed by Malcolm Gladwell, the authors analyse why certain stories become particularly influential, while others fail to take hold. The three key ingredients are: first, the involvement of people who by virtue of their personality, position and network "spread the word"; second, "stickiness" - a factor that is aided by simple messages that resonate with people's own experiences and are widely repeated; and third, the context in which a story takes place.
To illustrate this theory, Lewis and Bakker - academics at the University of Bath in the UK - discuss briefly the "lean production" revolution inspired by the well-known book, The Machine That Changed the World. They conclude with a checklist of key points to remember when listening to business stories.
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