Levels of Narrative Structure
When the construct in question is a story, then the tools of narrative theory provide some im- portant guidance. The basic problem is how to move from surface levels to deeper levels. Fig- ure 1 integrates the three levels commonly used in narrative theory, with an additional level that is implied by the work of Van de Ven and Poole (1995) and Pentland (1995). At the deepest level we have the "generating mechanism" that drives the process. As concep- tualized by Van de Ven and Poole (1995), for example, this contains an abstract process, such as variation and selective retention or goal seeking. As conceptualized by Pentland (1995), it might be a routine work process, like recruit