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Epistemes and Structures of Sensemaking in Organizational Life

University of Exeter, United Kingdom

Robert Chia

University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom

The issue of organizational sense-making has been much researched and written about in recent years. Yet, how structurally such sense-making attempts are facilitated remains relatively unexamined. In this article, the authors explore the underlying processes to be accomplished, sustained, and extended. `Episteme,' the underlying code of a culture or epoch that governs its language, its logic, its schemas of perception, its values and its techniques, etc., is what makes individual and collective meaning and sense-making possible. In this article, the authors identify three epistemes of organizational sense-making for legitimizing and justifying managerial actions and decision-making within the context of a family-owned newspaper called the Courier. This is done through a study of the justifying narratives employed in the collective sense-making process.

Key Words: positive unconscious • episteme • resemblance • emulation • mathesis • taxinomia • heteroglossia

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Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol. 16, No. 4, 392-406 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1056492607310976


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by O'Leary, M. Articles by Chia, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?