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The Unwritten Endings: A Deep Dive into the Story Completion Method in Management Research

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 1, 65 - 76, 21.01.2025

Berivan Tatar

https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1548341

Abstract

Story completion is a novel and intriguing methodological approach that generates a wealth of insightful and broader knowledge about individuals’ perceptions and understanding for researchers across disciplines. However, this method remains underexplored within the management research. To address this gap, this article focuses on the conceptual and methodological origins of the story completion method and provides a synthesis of story completion research in management literature. Our review of findings from seven studies shows that story completion-based research has focused on understanding the perception of menopausal women at work, teachers' teaching approach, and family life during the COVID-19 pandemic within the context of healthcare professionals, social workers, and teachers. Besides, these studies also concentrated on sensitive work-related research topics (discriminatory abuse, gender stereotypes etc.). The sample size and cnumber of stories ranged from 21 to 62 participants. Considering story design, 86% of studies used third-person perspectives. Also, these studies used a comparative design based on gender (male and female manager), personal characteristics (race, mental health etc.), socioeconomic status (low and middle), and different aspects of family life (household tasks, childcare, working from home, etc.). As an analysis method, 43% of studies used reflexive thematic analysis as a data analysis method. Finally, story completion was used as the sole method in the story completion research in management literature.

Keywords

Story completion Qualitative research Study design Management research

References

  • Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Frith, H., Malson, H., Moller, N., & Shah-Beckley, I. (2019). Qualitative story completion: Possibilities and potential pitfalls. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 136–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536395
  • Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Moller, N., & Tischner, I. (2018). Qualitative story completion: A method with exciting promise. Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, 1479–1496. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5251-4_14
  • Clarke, V. (2014). Telling tales of the unexpected: Using story completion to explore constructions of non-normative body hair practices. Paper presented at Appearance Matters 6, 1–2 July, Bristol, UK.
  • Clarke, V., Braun, V., Frith, H., & Moller, N. (2019). Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue: Using Story Completion Methods in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536378
  • Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Moller, N., Irmgard, T., & the Story Completion Research Group. (2017). Once upon a time …  In V. Braun, V. Clarke, & D. Gray (Eds.), Collecting qualitative data: A practical guide to textual, media and virtual techniques (pp. 45–70). Cambridge University Press.
  • Daly, K. L., Pike, G., Clarke, V., & Beck, V. (2024). “Difficulty mentioning the M word”: Perceptions of a woman disclosing negative menopause symptoms in the workplace. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, ahead-of-p(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-07-2023-2562
  • Diniz, E., Castro, P., Bousfield, A., & Figueira Bernardes, S. (2020). Classism and dehumanization in chronic pain: A qualitative study of nurses’ inferences about women of different socio-economic status. British Journal of Health Psychology, 25(1), 152–170. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12399
  • Gravett, K. (2019). Story Completion: Storying as a Method of Meaning-Making and Discursive Discovery. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919893155
  • Gravett, K., & Winstone, N. E. (2021). Storying students’ becomings into and through higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 46(8), 1578–1589. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1695112
  • Hunter, S. C., Mauch, C. E., Ridley, K., Shipman, J., Riggs, D. W., Coveney, J., … Golley, R. K. (2023). Family Life During and Beyond COVID-19: The Impact of Relationship Quality on Caregivers’ Management of Paid Work, Caregiving, and Self-Care. Journal of Family Issues, 45(3), 647–673. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X231155668
  • Káplár-Kodácsy, K., & Dorner, H. (2024). Creating reflective space for teachers in higher education: the use of story completion. International Journal for Academic Development, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2024.2303035
  • Kitzinger, C., & Powell, D. (1995). Engendering Infidelity: Essentialist and Social Constructionist Readings of a Story Completion Task. Feminism & Psychology, 5(3), 345–372. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353595053004
  • Mason, K. (2024). A method worth telling: Using story completion to understand social work responses to discriminatory abuse. Qualitative Social Work, 0(0), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250241262062
  • Meadows, K. A., & Reaney, M. (2024). Story completion (SC)–an epistemological approach to the interpretation of patient-reported outcomes? Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, 24(1), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737167.2023.2268833
  • Moller, N. P., Clarke, V., Braun, V., Tischner, I., & Vossler, A. (2021). Qualitative story completion for counseling psychology research: A creative method to interrogate dominant discourses. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 68(3), 286–298. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000538
  • Moller, N., & Tischner, I. (2019). Young people’s perceptions of fat counsellors: “How can THAT help me?” Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 34–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536384
  • Pong, C. Y., Roberts, N. J., & Lum, E. (2024). The “what, why, and how?” of story completion in health services research: a scoping review. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 24(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-024-02274-7
  • Preece, S., & Bullingham, R. (2022). Gender stereotypes: the impact upon perceived roles and practice of in-service teachers in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 27(3), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2020.1848813
  • Tischner, I. (2019). Tomorrow is the start of the rest of their life — so who cares about health? Exploring constructions of weight-loss motivations and health using story completion. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 54–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536385
  • Urry, K., Hunter, S., Feo, R., & Scholz, B. (2023). Qualitative Story Completion: Opportunities and Considerations for Health Research. Qualitative Health Research, 33(4), 345–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221150130
  • Vries, C., & Flurey, C. A. (2024). ‘Do I cry or just carry on’: A story completion study of healthcare professionals’ anticipated responses to experiencing chest pain. Journal of Health Psychology, 13591053231221400. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053231221400
  • Williams, T. L., Lozano-Sufrategui, L., & Tomasone, J. R. (2022). Stories of physical activity and disability: exploring sport and exercise students’ narrative imagination through story completion. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 14(5), 687–705. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2021.2001031

Yazılmamış Sonlar: Yönetim Araştırmalarında Hikaye Tamamlama Yöntemine Derinlemesine Bir Bakış

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 1, 65 - 76, 21.01.2025

Berivan Tatar

https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1548341

Abstract

Hikaye tamamlama, bireylerin algıları ve anlayışları hakkında zengin ve daha geniş bilgi üretmesi dolayısıyla farklı disiplinlerden araştırmacılar için yeni ve ilgi çekici bir metodolojik yaklaşımdır. Ancak bu yöntem, yönetim araştırmalarında yeterince kullanılmamıştır. Literatürdeki bu boşluğu doldurmak için bu makale, hikaye tamamlama yönteminin kavramsal ve metodolojik temellerine odaklanmakta ve yönetim literatüründeki hikaye tamamlama araştırmalarının bir sentezini sunmaktadır. Yedi çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara ilişkin incelememiz, hikaye tamamlama temelli araştırmaların sağlık çalışanları, sosyal hizmet uzmanları ve öğretmenler bağlamında menopoz dönemindeki kadınlara dair iş yerindeki algı, öğretmenlerinin öğretim yaklaşımı ve COVID-19 salgını sırasında aile yaşamını anlamaya odaklandığını göstermiştir. Ayrıca, bu çalışmalar işle ilgili hassas araştırma konularına da (ayrımcı istismar, toplumsal cinsiyet kalıp yargıları vb.) odaklanmıştır. Örneklem büyüklüğü ve elde edilen hikaye sayısı 21 ile 62 arasında değişmektedir. Hikaye tasarımı açısından değerlendirildiğinde, çalışmaların %86'sında üçüncü şahıs perspektifi kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca, bu çalışmalarda cinsiyet (kadın ve erkek yönetici), kişisel özellikler (ırk, mental sağlık vb.), sosyo-ekonomik durum (düşük ve orta), aile yaşamının farklı yönlerine (ev işleri, çocuk bakımı, evden çalışma vb.) dayalı karşılaştırmalı tasarım kullanılmıştır. Analiz yöntemi olarak, çalışmaların %43'ünde veri analiz yöntemi olarak refleksif tematik analiz kullanılmıştır. Son olarak öykü tamamlama, yönetim literatüründeki öykü tamamlama araştırmalarında tek yöntem olarak kullanılmıştır.

Keywords

Hikaye tamamlama Nitel araştırma Çalışma tasarımı Yönetim araştırması

References

  • Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Frith, H., Malson, H., Moller, N., & Shah-Beckley, I. (2019). Qualitative story completion: Possibilities and potential pitfalls. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 136–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536395
  • Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Moller, N., & Tischner, I. (2018). Qualitative story completion: A method with exciting promise. Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, 1479–1496. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5251-4_14
  • Clarke, V. (2014). Telling tales of the unexpected: Using story completion to explore constructions of non-normative body hair practices. Paper presented at Appearance Matters 6, 1–2 July, Bristol, UK.
  • Clarke, V., Braun, V., Frith, H., & Moller, N. (2019). Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue: Using Story Completion Methods in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536378
  • Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Moller, N., Irmgard, T., & the Story Completion Research Group. (2017). Once upon a time …  In V. Braun, V. Clarke, & D. Gray (Eds.), Collecting qualitative data: A practical guide to textual, media and virtual techniques (pp. 45–70). Cambridge University Press.
  • Daly, K. L., Pike, G., Clarke, V., & Beck, V. (2024). “Difficulty mentioning the M word”: Perceptions of a woman disclosing negative menopause symptoms in the workplace. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, ahead-of-p(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-07-2023-2562
  • Diniz, E., Castro, P., Bousfield, A., & Figueira Bernardes, S. (2020). Classism and dehumanization in chronic pain: A qualitative study of nurses’ inferences about women of different socio-economic status. British Journal of Health Psychology, 25(1), 152–170. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12399
  • Gravett, K. (2019). Story Completion: Storying as a Method of Meaning-Making and Discursive Discovery. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919893155
  • Gravett, K., & Winstone, N. E. (2021). Storying students’ becomings into and through higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 46(8), 1578–1589. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1695112
  • Hunter, S. C., Mauch, C. E., Ridley, K., Shipman, J., Riggs, D. W., Coveney, J., … Golley, R. K. (2023). Family Life During and Beyond COVID-19: The Impact of Relationship Quality on Caregivers’ Management of Paid Work, Caregiving, and Self-Care. Journal of Family Issues, 45(3), 647–673. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X231155668
  • Káplár-Kodácsy, K., & Dorner, H. (2024). Creating reflective space for teachers in higher education: the use of story completion. International Journal for Academic Development, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2024.2303035
  • Kitzinger, C., & Powell, D. (1995). Engendering Infidelity: Essentialist and Social Constructionist Readings of a Story Completion Task. Feminism & Psychology, 5(3), 345–372. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353595053004
  • Mason, K. (2024). A method worth telling: Using story completion to understand social work responses to discriminatory abuse. Qualitative Social Work, 0(0), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250241262062
  • Meadows, K. A., & Reaney, M. (2024). Story completion (SC)–an epistemological approach to the interpretation of patient-reported outcomes? Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, 24(1), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737167.2023.2268833
  • Moller, N. P., Clarke, V., Braun, V., Tischner, I., & Vossler, A. (2021). Qualitative story completion for counseling psychology research: A creative method to interrogate dominant discourses. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 68(3), 286–298. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000538
  • Moller, N., & Tischner, I. (2019). Young people’s perceptions of fat counsellors: “How can THAT help me?” Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 34–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536384
  • Pong, C. Y., Roberts, N. J., & Lum, E. (2024). The “what, why, and how?” of story completion in health services research: a scoping review. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 24(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-024-02274-7
  • Preece, S., & Bullingham, R. (2022). Gender stereotypes: the impact upon perceived roles and practice of in-service teachers in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 27(3), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2020.1848813
  • Tischner, I. (2019). Tomorrow is the start of the rest of their life — so who cares about health? Exploring constructions of weight-loss motivations and health using story completion. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 54–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536385
  • Urry, K., Hunter, S., Feo, R., & Scholz, B. (2023). Qualitative Story Completion: Opportunities and Considerations for Health Research. Qualitative Health Research, 33(4), 345–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221150130
  • Vries, C., & Flurey, C. A. (2024). ‘Do I cry or just carry on’: A story completion study of healthcare professionals’ anticipated responses to experiencing chest pain. Journal of Health Psychology, 13591053231221400. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053231221400
  • Williams, T. L., Lozano-Sufrategui, L., & Tomasone, J. R. (2022). Stories of physical activity and disability: exploring sport and exercise students’ narrative imagination through story completion. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 14(5), 687–705. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2021.2001031
There are 22 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Business Administration
Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Berivan Tatar 0000-0002-0934-3734

Early Pub Date January 19, 2025
Publication Date January 21, 2025
Submission Date September 11, 2024
Acceptance Date November 5, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2025Volume: 26 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Tatar, B. (2025). The Unwritten Endings: A Deep Dive into the Story Completion Method in Management Research. Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 26(1), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1548341
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