The Influence of Power on Middle Managers’ Sensemaking Process and its Consequences

Abstract

Middle managers’ role in terms of change agents and mediators have increased in importance during organisational changes. Much research has concluded that middle managers’ sensemaking process is important when studying organisational change since they have to interpret a new situation and at the same time mediate the new settings to their lower employees. More recent research has further concluded that sensemaking is influenced by power, however these studies are limited. This thesis extends previous research by studying how power influence the middle managers’ sensemaking process when they are expected to implement a change process and at the same time have to reapply for their position due to a recruitment process. The findings in this thesis suggest that the management team’s use of language and the information they shared in regards to the recruitment process influenced the middle managers’ sensemaking process. However, the middle managers’ sensemaking process is also influenced by their self-interests, which in turn affects their use of power and thus has consequences for the lower employees. These findings also highlight that the use of power has two sides, and that sensemaking and power are intercorrelated.