A Program of Study of the Use of Stories in DSS

Storytelling is an innate human characteristic. Stories are used to manage meaning, control behavior, and facilitate identification and bonding. The theory of identification and unobtrusive control enhances theories of sense making in organizations and argues that when members identify with the organization, they accept and use the organization´s premises when defining feasible alternatives to problems and consequently make choices consistent with desired organizational behavior. Stories can be used in many ways, including the inculcation of organizational culture and values (i.e., premises) that could be used to influence member behavior. However, no one has examined how technology could be used to integrate stories into computer-based decision-making processes. This paper reviews storytelling and stories, identification and unobtrusive control theory, and narratology (the study of narratives). It synthesizes these three areas into a program of study into the use of stories in computer-based decision support