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The contraction of meaning: the combined effect of communication, emotions and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting

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The contraction of meaning: the combined effect of communication, emotions and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting. / Cornelissen, Joep P.; Mantere, Saku; Vaara, Eero.
In: Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 51, No. 5, 07.2014, p. 699-736.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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Cornelissen JP, Mantere S, Vaara E. The contraction of meaning: the combined effect of communication, emotions and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting. Journal of Management Studies. 2014 Jul;51(5):699-736. Epub 2014 Jan 15. doi: 10.1111/joms.12073

Author

Cornelissen, Joep P. ; Mantere, Saku ; Vaara, Eero. / The contraction of meaning : the combined effect of communication, emotions and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting. In: Journal of Management Studies. 2014 ; Vol. 51, No. 5. pp. 699-736.

Bibtex

@article{222c1f8b808d4064bad6d532fd839428,
title = "The contraction of meaning: the combined effect of communication, emotions and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting",
abstract = "In this paper, we seek to understand how individuals, as part of a collective, commit themselves to a single, and possibly erroneous, frame, as a basis for sensemaking and coordinated actions. Using real-time data from an anti-terrorist police operation that led to the accidental shooting of an innocent civilian, we analyse how individual actors framed their circumstances in communication with one another and how this affected their subsequent interpretations and actions as events unfolded. Our analysis reveals, first, how the collective commitment to a framing of a civilian as a terrorist suicide bomber was built up and reinforced across episodes of collective sensemaking. Second, we elaborate on how the interaction between verbal communication, expressed and felt emotions, and material cues led to a contraction of meaning. This contraction stabilized and reinforced the overall framing at the exclusion of alternative interpretations. With our study we extend prior sensemaking research on environmental enactment and the escalation of commitment and elaborate on the role of emotions and materiality as part of sensemaking.",
keywords = "commitment, emotions , framing , materiality , sensegiving , sensemaking",
author = "Cornelissen, {Joep P.} and Saku Mantere and Eero Vaara",
year = "2014",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1111/joms.12073",
language = "English",
volume = "51",
pages = "699--736",
journal = "Journal of Management Studies",
issn = "0022-2380",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The contraction of meaning

T2 - the combined effect of communication, emotions and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting

AU - Cornelissen, Joep P.

AU - Mantere, Saku

AU - Vaara, Eero

PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - In this paper, we seek to understand how individuals, as part of a collective, commit themselves to a single, and possibly erroneous, frame, as a basis for sensemaking and coordinated actions. Using real-time data from an anti-terrorist police operation that led to the accidental shooting of an innocent civilian, we analyse how individual actors framed their circumstances in communication with one another and how this affected their subsequent interpretations and actions as events unfolded. Our analysis reveals, first, how the collective commitment to a framing of a civilian as a terrorist suicide bomber was built up and reinforced across episodes of collective sensemaking. Second, we elaborate on how the interaction between verbal communication, expressed and felt emotions, and material cues led to a contraction of meaning. This contraction stabilized and reinforced the overall framing at the exclusion of alternative interpretations. With our study we extend prior sensemaking research on environmental enactment and the escalation of commitment and elaborate on the role of emotions and materiality as part of sensemaking.

AB - In this paper, we seek to understand how individuals, as part of a collective, commit themselves to a single, and possibly erroneous, frame, as a basis for sensemaking and coordinated actions. Using real-time data from an anti-terrorist police operation that led to the accidental shooting of an innocent civilian, we analyse how individual actors framed their circumstances in communication with one another and how this affected their subsequent interpretations and actions as events unfolded. Our analysis reveals, first, how the collective commitment to a framing of a civilian as a terrorist suicide bomber was built up and reinforced across episodes of collective sensemaking. Second, we elaborate on how the interaction between verbal communication, expressed and felt emotions, and material cues led to a contraction of meaning. This contraction stabilized and reinforced the overall framing at the exclusion of alternative interpretations. With our study we extend prior sensemaking research on environmental enactment and the escalation of commitment and elaborate on the role of emotions and materiality as part of sensemaking.

KW - commitment

KW - emotions

KW - framing

KW - materiality

KW - sensegiving

KW - sensemaking

U2 - 10.1111/joms.12073

DO - 10.1111/joms.12073

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 699

EP - 736

JO - Journal of Management Studies

JF - Journal of Management Studies

SN - 0022-2380

IS - 5

ER -