ABSTRACT

People use stories to recount and reflect on their lives, and as a means to connect with other people. This chapter outlines some of the major characteristics of narrative, and it discusses the main functions of storytelling in the workplace. Drawing on two large corpora of workplace talk and migrant worker narratives, it explores some of the well-documented functions of workplace narratives: amusement, ingroup-outgroup distinctiveness, and ingroup cohesiveness. It also explores some lesser-known functions: establishing corporate values, and exposing and alienating the cultural “other”. Finally, the chapter considers narrative as a safe “venue” for talking about traumatic workplaces experiences.