Alain - Interesting question - I would say it begins as the former but then, as the person is drawn into the narrative, it becomes the latter. Even then, though, the person deeply believes that the resolution of the narrative hinges on their actions. It never becomes a viewpoint in the sense that the resolution is a given, independent of the actions of the individual. Thus, it contrasts with another use of narrative, the Grand Narrative as I discuss here http://bit.ly/1feDPg1

Vinnie - Thanks for the plug but permit me to make one major clarification. Some of the themes for the book are not new given my previous work - for example, the role of technology in re-shaping relationships. Even here, though, the core theme of the three levels of pull is new and, I hope, a powerful way to synthesize the management techniques that will be required to create economic value going forward. But the research is very new - the book summarizes three years worth of research that we have been pursuing at the Center for the Edge and that has not appeared in any other book. You are quite right that companies are slow to respond to the changes going on around them but I am hopeful that steadily growing evidence will overcome the denial of many executives who prefer to focus on short-term recovery news.