Strategic Alliance induced Organizational Change

Organizations are often perceived as socially constructed verbal systems established by multiple, simultaneous and sequential ante-narratives that not only connect and harmonize, but contest and clash as well. This study shows new and unique insights on sense making processes towards strategic alliance induced organizational change, conducted in the centre of the strategic alliance between Dutch professional football organizations Almere City FC and AFC Ajax. A relatively new kind of thematic ante-narrative approach will be used, consisting of several steps of analysis, ultimately towards the emergence of what I shall call "idealized ante-narratives", or idealized (organizational) stories. A micro-level narrative perspective analysis helps scholars, business managers and consultants to understand the organizational dynamics (sense making, politics, power and other understandings) that have an influence on the trajectory or performance of the alliance, linking this enlightening work to the more 'mainstream' strategic alliance literature.