Telling tales out of school: Sensemaking and narratives of legitimacy in an organizational change process. Issue 2 (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thurlow, Amy; Helms Mills, Jean
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of management. Volume 31:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 246
• Page End: 254
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Organizational narratives -- Critical sensemaking -- Organizational change -- Legitimacy -- Plausibility -- Discourses; Industrial management -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Scandinavia -- Periodicals; Gestion d'entreprise -- Périodiques; Gestion d'entreprise -- Scandinavie -- Périodiques; 658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2014.10.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-5221

Abstract

Summary: In this study we take a critical sensemaking approach to investigate organizational narratives of change at a Canadian community college to show how individuals make sense of the change process. In particular, we draw upon the property of plausibility to show how the president and CEO of the college legitimized the change narratives by drawing on rhetorical strategies of legitimation, which resonated with sensemakers in the organization. As plausibility is enhanced through legitimation, individuals in the organization become engaged in a sensemaking process, which resonates with their experiences and organizational identity. We contend that the organizational narratives constructed through this sensemaking process reflect a legitimation of plausible meaning. Plausibility emerges in this case study as a critical element in the sensemaking process, and highlights the importance of narrative practices of legitimation in sensemaking around organizational change.