How Sensemaking Processes Influence Organisational Decision Making

Abstract

This research explores how sensemaking processes impact decision-making in organisations. Doing so raises a fundamental question asking how communicative and sensemaking processes influence decision-making outcomes. The main motivation for conducting the study was to determine how organisational decision-making processes were impacted by the action of managers and organisational members. Some of the gaps in the literature were addressed by investigating the complexity in decision-making involving the sensemaking processes, including internal / external environmental factors affecting their outcome. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at a non-profit organisation to collect information, through direct observation of behaviour, examining what influence they had on decision-making processes. Carefully examining the sensemaking processes influencing decision-making, captured the unexplored connections, implications and nuances that constrain organisational decision-making. The concept of sensereceiving which formed the central focus of this study, advances the current literature to make the following contributions: Firstly, it highlights sensereceiving as the key that increases decision quality with the inclusion of more relevant and comprehensive inputs towards the decision-making process. Secondly, decision outcome implementation, increases in effectiveness because of high sensereceiving which strengthens commitment and engagement. Thirdly, organisational efficiency is potentially increased through high sensereceiving because it averts the loss of emotional energy. Finally, sensereceiving impacts are equally as powerful from managers to employees as they are from employees to managers. These findings offer researchers and practitioners a deeper and richer understanding of decision-making processes in organisations.