Managerial Sense-making During Technological Changes

In this paper, we investigate how managers enhance sense-making during technological changes in safety-critical industries. Implementation of new technologies is not a linear and predictable process. Technologies evolve faster than we can fully prepare for. This means that new challenges are introduced into the sociotechnical system in which the technology is embedded, leading to shifts in paradigms, interpretation, and business practices. These new technology-induced changes have been less the focus of previous work on sense-making compared to the more traditional paradigms and core practices. In this paper, we focus on the managerial role in these changes. We examine the relevant literature on technological change implementation and organizational sense-making in the past three years and use thematic analysis to capture the main themes plausible within the scope of the paper. Several themes and sub-themes are derived and presented. The resulting themes shed light on what the managers need to be aware of and do to support and enhance the sense-making process during technological changes, which leads to empowerment of the employees to do their own sense-making and maintain reliable operations.