Enacting a new approach to scenario analysis: the potential of a pragmatist account

Purpose: This article takes a new look at how scenarios are produced and used. It does so from a perspective that is unusual in the field: network pragmatism. Design/methodology/approach: This paper takes a conceptual approach. Findings: A network pragmatist account allows scenarios to play an important role in actions designed to secure specific futures for organisations. It thus endows them with micro-political force. Any scenario that fails to exert this force will wither and ultimately, die, but can be resuscitated. With its demise in the networked world, a scenario can assume a more partial and private existence, shaping the affections, loyalties and actions of notable individuals. Research limitations/implications: Our approach generates novel propositions that question the adequacy of currently dominant cognitive theories. However, it has yet to be tested empirically. Practical implications: . Originality/value: The pragmatist reading of scenarios that we propose is distinct, but also only ever partial. Our work emphasises that a holistic account of scenario lives needs multiple theoretical perspectives