Question

Characters are also part of deep structure. Characters tie events in a story together and provide a thread of continuity and meaning. Stories can be about individuals, groups, projects, or whole organizations, so from an organizational studies perspective, the focal actor(s) determine the level and unit of analysis used in a study. Stories of mergers and acquisitions, for example, are commonplace. In these stories whole organizations are personified as actors. But these macro level stories usually are not told from the perspective of the macro-level participants, because whole organizations cannot narrate their experiences in the first person.

• A. More generally, data concerning the identities and relationships of the characters in the story are required to understand role structure and social networks.
• B. Personification of a whole organization abstracts away from the particular actors and from traditional notions of level of analysis.
• C. The personification of a whole organization is important because stories differ depending on who is enacting events.
• D. Every story is told from a particular point of view, which is not regarded as part of the deep structure.
• E. The personification of a whole organization is a textual device we use to make macro-level theories more comprehensible.

Hint:

Look for explicit definitions in the passage that match an option’s phrasing — especially in questions about terminology.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

The correct answer is: The personification of a whole organization is a textual device we use to make macro-level theories more comprehensible.
In the context of organizational studies, stories about mergers, acquisitions, and other organizational dynamics typically involve "personifying" entire organizations as if they were individual actors. This approach helps make complex, macro-level theories more understandable because these entities cannot narrate their own experiences in the first person. The question highlights how organizations are depicted as actors in narratives to provide continuity and meaning, allowing for an abstraction that aids comprehension.