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Making sense of adaptability initiatives in the teeth of rigidity

Nikolaev, Fredrik LU and Zubillaga, Leonor LU (2018) BUSN49 20181
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
This case study explores how members of a large complex organization make sense of its efforts to be more adaptable. Using ideas from institutional theory, we problematize efforts toward adaptability and identify adaptability as an area where organizations engage in some degree of hypocrisy, meaning that they talk about being flexible to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment, but often act according to rigid processes that are in place. Organizational members
then make sense of this discrepancy interdependently. We conduct interviews with 12 employees at Consumer Goods Inc., a rigid organization, and analyze how they make sense of the attempts at increasing adaptability. We find that explicit efforts at sensemaking are heightened... (More)
This case study explores how members of a large complex organization make sense of its efforts to be more adaptable. Using ideas from institutional theory, we problematize efforts toward adaptability and identify adaptability as an area where organizations engage in some degree of hypocrisy, meaning that they talk about being flexible to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment, but often act according to rigid processes that are in place. Organizational members
then make sense of this discrepancy interdependently. We conduct interviews with 12 employees at Consumer Goods Inc., a rigid organization, and analyze how they make sense of the attempts at increasing adaptability. We find that explicit efforts at sensemaking are heightened by a certain politicization that occurs with the introduction of adaptability initiatives. These individual interpretations can be understood as micro events connected to the macro events of adaptability and rigidity. We explore the connection between competing macro events and sensemaking to understand discrepancies in how individuals made sense of the adaptability contradictions at Consumer Goods Inc. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Nikolaev, Fredrik LU and Zubillaga, Leonor LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN49 20181
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Adaptability, Flexibility, Sensemaking, Institutional Norms, Macro Constraints, Legitimacy.
language
English
id
8945490
date added to LUP
2018-06-19 13:43:35
date last changed
2018-06-19 13:43:35
@misc{8945490,
  abstract     = {{This case study explores how members of a large complex organization make sense of its efforts to be more adaptable. Using ideas from institutional theory, we problematize efforts toward adaptability and identify adaptability as an area where organizations engage in some degree of hypocrisy, meaning that they talk about being flexible to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment, but often act according to rigid processes that are in place. Organizational members
then make sense of this discrepancy interdependently. We conduct interviews with 12 employees at Consumer Goods Inc., a rigid organization, and analyze how they make sense of the attempts at increasing adaptability. We find that explicit efforts at sensemaking are heightened by a certain politicization that occurs with the introduction of adaptability initiatives. These individual interpretations can be understood as micro events connected to the macro events of adaptability and rigidity. We explore the connection between competing macro events and sensemaking to understand discrepancies in how individuals made sense of the adaptability contradictions at Consumer Goods Inc.}},
  author       = {{Nikolaev, Fredrik and Zubillaga, Leonor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Making sense of adaptability initiatives in the teeth of rigidity}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}