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Sensemaking
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Q1
What is the primary focus of sensemaking in organizational theory?
A
Explaining rational decision-making
B
Clarifying performance metrics and outputs
C
Understanding how people create meaning in complex situations
D
Implementing strategic plans effectively
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Sensemaking is not focused on rational decision-making models.
B:
Incorrect – It is not primarily concerned with performance metrics.
C:
Correct – Sensemaking helps individuals and groups make sense of ambiguity.
D:
Incorrect – Implementation is important, but not the core of sensemaking.
Q2
What does the term "retrospective images and narratives" refer to in sensemaking?
A
Organizational vision statements
B
Mental constructions formed before an event occurs
C
Narratives developed after events to explain what happened
D
Preemptive change strategies
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Vision statements are forward-looking.
B:
Incorrect – Retrospective means after the fact, not before.
C:
Correct – Retrospective narratives are created after an event to make sense of it.
D:
Incorrect – Strategy is separate from sensemaking narratives.
Q3
Why is sensemaking described as a “collective process”?
A
Because it only involves leadership teams
B
Because it requires a board resolution
C
Because meaning is constructed through social interaction
D
Because it relies solely on individual interpretation
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – All members, not just leadership, engage in sensemaking.
B:
Incorrect – Collective sensemaking isn’t formalized through governance.
C:
Correct – Social interaction is essential in constructing shared meaning.
D:
Incorrect – Individual meaning-making is only one part.
Q4
Which of the following is **NOT** a key feature of sensemaking?
A
Use of multiple cues
B
Formation of mental models
C
Linear progression from event to outcome
D
Plausibility testing
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Cues such as norms and rituals are central.
B:
Incorrect – Mental models help interpret the environment.
C:
Correct – Sensemaking is iterative and non-linear.
D:
Incorrect – Testing models for plausibility is part of the process.
Q5
What is the role of "plausibility tests" in the sensemaking process?
A
To validate information using quantitative methods
B
To determine legal compliance of interpretations
C
To refine mental models through testing and feedback
D
To avoid disagreement in decision-making
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Sensemaking doesn’t rely on statistical validation.
B:
Incorrect – Legal compliance is not the focus of sensemaking.
C:
Correct – Plausibility tests help refine or abandon models based on new input.
D:
Incorrect – Disagreement can still emerge in sensemaking.
Q6
Which organizational setting is especially reliant on sensemaking routines?
A
Stable bureaucracies
B
Emergency response teams
C
Traditional classrooms
D
Retail chains
Correct Answer: B
A:
Incorrect – Bureaucracies rely more on fixed procedures.
B:
Correct – Emergency teams constantly reinterpret shifting conditions.
C:
Incorrect – While possible, classrooms aren't primary examples here.
D:
Incorrect – Retail chains emphasize efficiency over ongoing ambiguity.
Q7
How does sensemaking address organizational anomalies?
A
By documenting policies in advance
B
By generating shared meaning through interpretation
C
By assigning individual blame
D
By simplifying events into rational outcomes
Correct Answer: B
A:
Incorrect – Policies do not capture the interpretive element.
B:
Correct – Shared understanding helps resolve ambiguity.
C:
Incorrect – Sensemaking isn’t about attributing blame.
D:
Incorrect – Sensemaking embraces complexity rather than simplification.
Q8
Why is the phrase “my perception is my reality” problematic in the context of sensemaking?
A
It limits budget decisions
B
It suggests collective agreement
C
It prioritizes individual meaning over shared understanding
D
It supports evidence-based leadership
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Budgeting is unrelated here.
B:
Incorrect – The phrase often excludes collective input.
C:
Correct – It dismisses others’ perspectives, undermining collective sensemaking.
D:
Incorrect – The phrase reflects a subjective stance, not evidence-based practice.
Q9
What distinguishes sensemaking from memory recall?
A
Memory recall is always accurate
B
Sensemaking occurs unconsciously
C
Sensemaking involves reconstructive, interpretive processes
D
Memory recall does not involve emotion
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Memory is often inaccurate and reconstructive.
B:
Incorrect – Sensemaking can be conscious and reflective.
C:
Correct – Sensemaking reconstructs past experiences through interpretation.
D:
Incorrect – Emotion influences both memory and sensemaking.
Q10
Which criticism of sensemaking is mentioned in the lecture?
A
It’s too grounded in neuroscience
B
It lacks empirical testability
C
It promotes individualism
D
It excludes affective factors
Correct Answer: B
A:
Incorrect – Neuroscience is not a central critique here.
B:
Correct – Quantitative testing is difficult due to complexity.
C:
Incorrect – It actually critiques excessive individual focus.
D:
Incorrect – Affective elements are part of the model.
Q11
What type of mental tool does sensemaking rely on to interpret organizational environments?
A
Budget plans
B
Mental models
C
Vision statements
D
External audits
Correct Answer: B
A:
Incorrect – Budgets are financial tools, not cognitive frameworks.
B:
Correct – Mental models help process and make sense of cues.
C:
Incorrect – Vision statements are organizational goals, not interpretive tools.
D:
Incorrect – Audits examine compliance, not meaning-making.
Q12
How does the lecture describe memory in the context of sensemaking?
A
As an exact archive of past experiences
B
As a series of objective truths
C
As a reconstructive and interpretive process
D
As a list of uncontaminated observations
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Memory is not a perfect record.
B:
Incorrect – Objective truth is rarely the product of memory.
C:
Correct – Memory reconstructs past experiences each time it is accessed.
D:
Incorrect – Memory is susceptible to distortion and influence.
Q13
Why is it difficult to statistically test sensemaking?
A
It lacks any structure
B
Its processes are non-observable
C
It oversimplifies participants' views
D
It is too complex and iterative for reductionist methods
Correct Answer: D
A:
Incorrect – Sensemaking has structure, though it’s not linear.
B:
Incorrect – The processes can be studied qualitatively.
C:
Incorrect – Sensemaking attempts to honor complexity, not simplify it.
D:
Correct – Its nuanced and recursive nature resists quantification.
Q14
According to the lecture, how should leaders approach their own mental models?
A
Treat them as final truths
B
Rely solely on past experiences
C
Submit them to plausibility tests and refinement
D
Use them to override collective perceptions
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Mental models must be revised.
B:
Incorrect – Past experience is insufficient on its own.
C:
Correct – Leaders test and refine their models against others.
D:
Incorrect – Imposing top-down views causes dysfunction.
Q15
Which of the following is a common misconception about sensemaking?
A
It’s influenced by both cognitive and emotional factors
B
It is socially constructed
C
It is purely a rational, linear process
D
It is a collective activity
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – This is a correct understanding.
B:
Incorrect – This aligns with the core definition.
C:
Correct – Many wrongly assume sensemaking is rational and linear.
D:
Incorrect – Sensemaking is indeed collective.
Q16
What does Weick mean when he calls organizations “sensemaking systems”?
A
They produce predictable outcomes through strategic planning
B
They function through audits and compliance
C
They rely on the continuous creation of shared meaning
D
They function best with minimal communication
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Predictability is not a hallmark of sensemaking.
B:
Incorrect – Compliance is not the focus.
C:
Correct – Organizations use routines and communication to make sense.
D:
Incorrect – Communication is essential.
Q17
What distinguishes sensemaking from traditional theories of change?
A
It emphasizes fixed roles and routines
B
It focuses on rational cause-and-effect
C
It explains how people deal with events that don’t make sense
D
It centers on objective metrics
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Sensemaking focuses on interpretation, not rigidity.
B:
Incorrect – Rationality is not its hallmark.
C:
Correct – It begins with breakdowns in understanding.
D:
Incorrect – Metrics are tools, not the main focus.
Q18
What is a major theoretical limitation of sensemaking?
A
It has no empirical grounding
B
It excludes narrative explanation
C
It lacks a universally agreed definition
D
It is purely statistical
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Sensemaking has empirical applications, especially qualitative.
B:
Incorrect – Narratives are central to sensemaking.
C:
Correct – Its abstract and flexible nature makes it hard to define precisely.
D:
Incorrect – It's not statistical at all.
Q19
Which of the following is an example of a “cue” in the sensemaking process?
A
Salary scales
B
Rituals and stories
C
Strategic priorities
D
Time sheets
Correct Answer: B
A:
Incorrect – These are administrative, not symbolic.
B:
Correct – Rituals, symbols, and stories serve as sensemaking cues.
C:
Incorrect – Strategies are outcomes of sensemaking, not cues.
D:
Incorrect – These record time, not meaning.
Q20
How does the lecture describe the evolution of shared understanding?
A
As a top-down managerial outcome
B
As a result of legal codification
C
As emerging from repeated interactions and narratives
D
As a byproduct of technical training
Correct Answer: C
A:
Incorrect – Top-down imposition disrupts sensemaking.
B:
Incorrect – Legal rules aren’t central here.
C:
Correct – Shared meaning evolves through iterative communication.
D:
Incorrect – Training does not substitute for shared interpretation.
Application Q1
Describe a time when you or your organization experienced an ambiguous or unexpected event.
What retrospective narratives or mental models emerged?
How did they influence your collective understanding or decision-making?
Application Q2
Identify a core construct from sensemaking theory (e.g., multiple cues, plausibility testing).
How might this concept help you analyze data or interpret findings in your dissertation?
Application Q3
How might you identify and gather the “multiple cues” relevant to your research context?
Consider rituals, vocabularies, norms, and values your participants use.
Application Q4
Sensemaking involves both individual and collective meaning-making.
How does your research design attend to this duality?
Application Q5
What routines or mental models already exist in your dissertation setting?
How might these shape participant responses or organizational behavior?
Application Q6
In your dissertation, what could serve as an “anomaly” or trigger event for sensemaking?
How might you recognize when sensemaking is occurring?
Application Q7
Karl Weick argued that sensemaking is iterative, not linear.
How can you design your analysis to reflect this iterative process?
Application Q8
Think about your participants’ affective experiences.
How might emotions influence how they make sense of the phenomenon you’re studying?
Application Q9
Consider the phrase “my perception is my reality.”
How can you guard against this mindset as a researcher?
Application Q10
How will you differentiate between a participant’s individual meaning and a collectively constructed narrative in your findings?
Application Q11
How will you account for the evolving nature of participants’ sensemaking in your data collection and analysis?
Application Q12
How could sensemaking help explain resistance to change in your professional setting?
Application Q13
What qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, observations, document analysis) will best help you trace the sensemaking process?
Application Q14
How can you recognize when a retrospective narrative is being formed during an interview or focus group?
Application Q15
What organizational structures, norms, or routines might constrain sensemaking in your dissertation research?
Application Q16
How might sensemaking provide a lens for understanding ambiguity or conflict in your dissertation research setting?
Application Q17
How will you capture and represent the process of plausibility testing among your participants?
Application Q18
How does sensemaking intersect with your conceptual framework or theoretical traditions?
