Giving and Making Sense About Change : The Back and Forth Between Leaders and Employees

No Thumbnail Available
Files
There are no files associated with this item.
Date
2018
Authors
Editors
Contact
Journal ISSN
Electronic ISSN
ISBN
Bibliographical data
Publisher
Series
URI (citable link)
DOI (citable link)
ArXiv-ID
International patent number
Link to the license
oops
EU project number
Project
Open Access publication
Restricted until
Title in another language
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Publication type
Journal article
Publication status
Published
Published in
Journal of Business and Psychology ; 33 (2018), 1. - pp. 71-87. - ISSN 0889-3268. - eISSN 1573-353X
Abstract
Purpose
Leader sensegiving—the attempt to affect employees’ sensemaking—is a crucial leadership activity during organizational change. Yet, it is unclear how employee sensemaking and leader sensegiving vary across different change phases: Although addressing employee needs is key for successful sensegiving, current literature remains vague about how leaders account for different employee needs over the course of a change process.

Design/Methodology/Approach
Data were obtained from an interview study with organizational members who underwent episodic change. To integrate both perspectives, interviews were conducted with leaders (n = 26) and employees (n = 29). Data were analyzed using template analysis.

Findings
Our analysis revealed and confirmed different sensemaking needs and respective sensegiving foci in each change phase. During exploration, leaders respond to employees’ need for reassurance with receptive sensegiving. During preparation, leaders show participative sensegiving to answer employees’ need for orientation. During implementation, leaders’ compensating sensegiving responds to employees’ need for balance. During evaluation, leaders’ evaluative sensegiving accounts for employees’ need for acknowledgment. Each sensegiving mode is associated with a specific set of discursive and symbolic strategies in each phase.

Implications
This study provides a systematic framework on how leaders can respond successfully to employee sensemaking needs in each change phase using different discursive and symbolic sensegiving strategies.

Originality/Value
The study enhances our understanding of development in sensemaking and sensegiving by outlining the specific interlocking between both processes within the different change phases. Furthermore, it outlines how the relevant sensegiving modes can be obtained through particular symbolic and discursive strategies.
Summary in another language
Subject (DDC)
320 Politics
Keywords
Organizational Change, Sensegiving, Sensemaking, Leadership
Conference
Review
undefined / . - undefined, undefined. - (undefined; undefined)
Cite This
ISO 690KRAFT, Anna, Jennifer L. SPARR, Claudia PEUS, 2018. Giving and Making Sense About Change : The Back and Forth Between Leaders and Employees. In: Journal of Business and Psychology. 33(1), pp. 71-87. ISSN 0889-3268. eISSN 1573-353X. Available under: doi: 10.1007/s10869-016-9474-5
BibTex
@article{Kraft2018-02Givin-35881,
  year={2018},
  doi={10.1007/s10869-016-9474-5},
  title={Giving and Making Sense About Change : The Back and Forth Between Leaders and Employees},
  number={1},
  volume={33},
  issn={0889-3268},
  journal={Journal of Business and Psychology},
  pages={71--87},
  author={Kraft, Anna and Sparr, Jennifer L. and Peus, Claudia}
}
RDF
<rdf:RDF
    xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"
    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
    xmlns:bibo="http://purl.org/ontology/bibo/"
    xmlns:dspace="http://digital-repositories.org/ontologies/dspace/0.1.0#"
    xmlns:foaf="http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/"
    xmlns:void="http://rdfs.org/ns/void#"
    xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#" > 
  <rdf:Description rdf:about="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/server/rdf/resource/123456789/35881">
    <dc:language>eng</dc:language>
    <dc:contributor>Peus, Claudia</dc:contributor>
    <dc:contributor>Sparr, Jennifer L.</dc:contributor>
    <dcterms:title>Giving and Making Sense About Change : The Back and Forth Between Leaders and Employees</dcterms:title>
    <dc:creator>Peus, Claudia</dc:creator>
    <dcterms:available rdf:datatype="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime">2016-11-10T07:51:25Z</dcterms:available>
    <dc:contributor>Kraft, Anna</dc:contributor>
    <bibo:uri rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/handle/123456789/35881"/>
    <dc:date rdf:datatype="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime">2016-11-10T07:51:25Z</dc:date>
    <dspace:isPartOfCollection rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/server/rdf/resource/123456789/42"/>
    <dcterms:isPartOf rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/server/rdf/resource/123456789/42"/>
    <dcterms:abstract xml:lang="eng">Purpose&lt;br /&gt;Leader sensegiving—the attempt to affect employees’ sensemaking—is a crucial leadership activity during organizational change. Yet, it is unclear how employee sensemaking and leader sensegiving vary across different change phases: Although addressing employee needs is key for successful sensegiving, current literature remains vague about how leaders account for different employee needs over the course of a change process.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Design/Methodology/Approach&lt;br /&gt;Data were obtained from an interview study with organizational members who underwent episodic change. To integrate both perspectives, interviews were conducted with leaders (n = 26) and employees (n = 29). Data were analyzed using template analysis.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Findings&lt;br /&gt;Our analysis revealed and confirmed different sensemaking needs and respective sensegiving foci in each change phase. During exploration, leaders respond to employees’ need for reassurance with receptive sensegiving. During preparation, leaders show participative sensegiving to answer employees’ need for orientation. During implementation, leaders’ compensating sensegiving responds to employees’ need for balance. During evaluation, leaders’ evaluative sensegiving accounts for employees’ need for acknowledgment. Each sensegiving mode is associated with a specific set of discursive and symbolic strategies in each phase.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Implications&lt;br /&gt;This study provides a systematic framework on how leaders can respond successfully to employee sensemaking needs in each change phase using different discursive and symbolic sensegiving strategies.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Originality/Value&lt;br /&gt;The study enhances our understanding of development in sensemaking and sensegiving by outlining the specific interlocking between both processes within the different change phases. Furthermore, it outlines how the relevant sensegiving modes can be obtained through particular symbolic and discursive strategies.</dcterms:abstract>
    <dc:creator>Sparr, Jennifer L.</dc:creator>
    <dcterms:issued>2018-02</dcterms:issued>
    <dc:creator>Kraft, Anna</dc:creator>
    <foaf:homepage rdf:resource="http://localhost:8080/"/>
    <void:sparqlEndpoint rdf:resource="http://localhost/fuseki/dspace/sparql"/>
  </rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>
Internal note
xmlui.Submission.submit.DescribeStep.inputForms.label.kops_note_fromSubmitter
Contact
URL of original publication
Test date of URL
Examination date of dissertation
Method of financing
Comment on publication
Alliance license
Corresponding Authors der Uni Konstanz vorhanden
International Co-Authors
Bibliography of Konstanz
Yes
Refereed
Yes