Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking

• Published in: Organization science (Providence, R.I.) Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 409 - 421
• Main Authors: Weick, Karl E, Sutcliffe, Kathleen M, Obstfeld, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Linthicum INFORMS 01.07.2005; Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• Subjects: articulation; Behavior; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Decision making; Emotional development; Equivocality; Identity; Infants; interpreting; Nurses; Organization theory; Organizational identity; Organizational research; Organizations; Physicians; Power; Sense making; sensemaking; Studies

Sensemaking involves turning circumstances into a situation that is comprehended explicitly in words and that serves as a springboard into action. In this paper we take the position that the concept of sensemaking fills important gaps in organizational theory. The seemingly transient nature of sense...