Middle Managers, Strategic Sensemaking and Discursive Competence

Rouleau, Linda and Balogun, Julia (2011) Middle Managers, Strategic Sensemaking and Discursive Competence. Journal of Management Studies, 48 (5). pp. 953-983. ISSN 0022-2380

[thumbnail of Middle Managers, Strategic Sensemaking and Discursive Competence]
Preview
PDF (Middle Managers, Strategic Sensemaking and Discursive Competence)
10.pdf - Submitted Version

Download (189kB)

Abstract

This paper seeks to better understand the way middle managers contribute strategically to the development of an organization by examining how they enact the strategic roles allocated to them, with particular reference to strategic change. Through vignettes drawn from the authors' current research, a framework is developed that shows two situated, but interlinked, discursive activities, ‘performing the conversation’ and ‘setting the scene’, to be critical to the accomplishment of middle manager sensemaking. Language use is key, but needs to be combined with an ability to devise a setting in which to perform the language. The paper shows how middle managers knowledgeably enact these two sets of discursive activities by drawing on contextually relevant verbal, symbolic, and sociocultural systems, to allow them to draw people from different organizational levels into the change as they go about their day-to-day work.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Management Studies
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1400/1405
Subjects:
?? BUSINESS AND INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY AND MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION ??
ID Code:
51519
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
25 Nov 2011 09:11
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
11 Oct 2023 00:00