Telling the story of organizational effectiveness

There are a plethora of meanings that surround the term effectiveness even though the pursuit of effectiveness is taken for granted in modern organizations. Many definitions assume organizations as a stable and unified entity; however, it is argued that there are many notions of effectiveness hidden within relationships. A social construction view is used to examine meanings of effectiveness within a community of HR practitioners. Using a story‐telling approach, data were gathered to reveal the connection between values and claims for effective actions. It is argued that we need to see organizations as a sea of relationships, each with their own notions of effectiveness.