Gabbay, Shaul M. Leenders, Roger Th.A.J. (Groningen University)
Abstract
In his classic model of trust, Coleman (1990) argues that the decision of an actor to trust or not is a function of the expected gain and loss involved. In this paper we show how actors who attempt to recruit others into network marketing employ narrative in manipulating the recruit's expectations. For example, we show how the costs involved in recruiting friends and family into network marketing are transformed into benefit through narrative strategies. Through the strategic use of narrative, recruiters change the recruit's perception of the parameters of the Coleman model and make perfectly rational behavior that was not considered rational before. In addition, we argue that recruiters use similar narrative on themselves in reconfirming the validity of their own previous decision to trust.
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management) in its series Research Report with number
02B32.