The process of sensemaking during organizational crisis - Exploring the process of sensemaking during the refugee crisis at the Swedish Migration Board

Abstract

Sensemaking theories has been discussed in many studies, however the idea the sensemaking and sensegiving process might still be under-researched. Ideas such as institutions‟ role in sensemaking, cognitive barriers, sensemaking during crisis has been given less consideration. This study is conducted to study the sensemaking process at the Swedish Migration board during the refugee crisis. The aim of the study is to gain a better understanding for the sensemaking process during the restructure process that the organisation has been through due to the referred crisis. In this study, a background of the crisis was given to better understand the interdependency between the organisation and the surrounded environment in addition to the empirical data that were divided into three phases; expansion, reduction and the post crisis stage. The focus in the theoretical frame was on the effect of identities and roles change on sensemaking and the relationship between micro and macro actors and its implication on sensemaking. The study‟s aim is to reduce the shortage regarding sensemaking during organisational crisis and extend the knowledge of the relationship between identities, micro and macro actors and sensemaking.