ORGANIZATIONAL TENSION AND OCCUPATIONAL SCRIPTS - STORIES FROM HR PROFESSIONALS AND TOP EXECUTIVES

This study compared the biases and beliefs of top executives and HR pr ofessionals in Fortune 500 companies. The study's findings and theoret ical framework were derived from the analysis of story components (e.g ., heros, villains, turning points) of informant-generated tales of wo rk place experiences. The findings indicate that the two informant gro ups differ with respect to values, beliefs, casual attributions, and p riorities. Our work suggests that these differences may create a compe titive undercurrent and communication breakdowns between top executive s and the functions reporting to them. Implications for HR roles along with suggestions for theory development and further research on occup ational scripts are offered.