Abstract
Karl Weick's sensemaking perspective has proven to be a central influence on process theories of organizing. Yet, one persistent criticism levelled at his work has been a neglect of the role of larger social and historical contexts in sensemaking. We address this critique by showing how institutional context is a necessary part of sensemaking. We propose that there are salient but unexplored connections between the institutional and sensemaking perspectives. We explain how three specific mechanisms - priming, editing and triggering - bring institutional context into processes of sensemaking, beyond a more conventional notion of internalized cognitive constraint. Our contribution seeks to be forward-looking as much as reflective, addressing a critique of one of Karl Weick's key theoretical contributions and offering amendments that extend its reach.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1639-1660 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Organization Studies |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2006 |
Keywords
- Context
- Institutional theory
- Mechanisms
- Sensemaking
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Strategy and Management
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
- Management of Technology and Innovation