Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between objective language and narratives and how differences affect rhetoric.Design/methodology/approach – Conceptual implications are drawn from an analysis and discussion of the literature in the fields of autopoiesis, meanings and narratives.Findings – Only narratives convey the experience of objectivity, which makes them more effective to persuade people to change than just providing “objective” data and explanatory knowledge.Originality/value – The paper discusses how the projection of meaning is not an experience but knowledge. Meaning is experienced as an empirical property of the perceived.

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doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-09-2014-0167, hdl.handle.net/1765/81555
Journal of Organizational Change Management
Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University

Goosseff, K. (2014). Only narratives can reflect the experience of objectivity: Effective persuasion. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 27(5), 703–709. doi:10.1108/JOCM-09-2014-0167