Modern Social Science Research

Currently, some state-owned enterprises face practical challenges in their propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, such as homogenized content, low engagement, and limited impact. Drawing on narrative theory and considering both the contemporary context and existing dilemmas, this paper identifies the root cause of these issues as the organization’s storytelling lacking authentic subjects, concrete lived experiences, and effective communication channels. It proposes shifting the focus of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work from "information dissemination" to "collaborative story-building." This can be achieved by empowering frontline employees as narrative agents, extracting values from job-specific practices, innovating expression through short videos and audio-based media, and reinforcing these efforts with institutional support. The goal is to cultivate an organizational narrative ecosystem that is "written by employees, told for employees, and embraced by employees." Research indicates that adopting a narrative approach can significantly enhance the relatability, emotional resonance, and internalization of corporate culture, thereby strengthening the effectiveness and cohesion of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in state-owned enterprises in the new era.

State-owned enterprises; Propaganda, ideological, and cultural work; Narrative theory; Cultural construction