Towards an Understanding of Antecedents and Consequences of Team Sense making: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the notion of sensemaking in a team context. Building on the sensemaking theory this research conceptualizes and examines the antecedents and consequences of team sensemaking. This research adopted the crosssectional research design and collected data from respondents who were the part of a team. Chapter Two has conceptualized and examined the positive relationship between transactive memory systems (TMS) and team sensemaking. Also, this study has identified different levels of task conflict and reward interdependence as the boundary conditions that have enabled the relationship between TMS and team sensemaking. Results showed that transactive memory systems were positively related to team sensemaking when both task conflict and reward interdependence were high. Further identifying the antecedents of team sensemaking, Chapter Three has examined the relevance of social environment factors (team autonomy and cognitive diversity) regarding team sensemaking. In so doing, this chapter has also studied the facilitatory role of team sensemaking for the relationships of team autonomy and cognitive diversity with team creativity. The findings of the study suggest that managers in knowledge-intensive industries should promote cognitive diversity and autonomy to develop team sensemaking, which in turn can facilitate team creativity. Chapter Four examines the impact of team sensemaking on team bricolage and subsequently on team resilience. Moreover, this study conceptualizes and tests whether task interdependence moderates the mediation of team bricolage for the relationship between team sensemaking and team resilience. The results show that team bricolage mediates the relationship between team sensemaking and team resilience and this mediation of team bricolage is moderated by task interdependence. Overall, this study makes important following three key contributions with respect to team sensemaking. First, this study has demonstrated the relevance of transactive memory systems, task conflict and reward interdependence for enabling team sensemaking. In this manner, this study has conceptualized and investigated the key antecedents of team sensemaking. Second, this research has illustrated that team autonomy and cognitive diversity are positive contributors for team sensemaking which in turn has a positive influence on team creativity. Third, the pertinence of team sensemaking has been established with respect to team resilience to underscore the consequences of team sensemaking. The study improves the understanding of the relationship between team sensemaking and team resilience by examining how team bricolage facilitates this link when task interdependence is present. Drawing on the findings of the study, team managers can tap on TMS to structure tasks so that the team is granted autonomy and possesses diverse cognitive resources to encourage team sensemaking. Team sensemaking as an important resource can be further used to influence team creativity, team bricolage and team resilience.