Sense and sensibility: How CEOs construct meaning through symbols in organizational change

Yu Wang; David Diwei Lv; Christina W.Y. Wong

doi:10.1017/jmo.2022.19

Sense and sensibility: How CEOs construct meaning through symbols in organizational change

Yu Wang
, David Diwei Lv
, Christina W.Y. Wong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Research output: Journal article publication › Journal article › Academic research › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper investigates the rational and emotional functions of symbols in organizational change and how collective sensemaking and acceptance of organizational changes are facilitated by the emotional functioning of executive symbolism. Evidence from archived data, news reports, reviews, and case studies are used to support our theoretical analysis. Our opinion is that the CEO can incorporate symbols into not only the rational calculation process to convey the benefits and losses of organizational changes but also the emotional identification process to create new emotional connections and reduce the resistance of the members to organizational changes. We describe why and when the implementation of symbolism will gain the acceptance of members toward organizational change and explain the scenarios that apply for the two functions.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Management and Organization
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2022.19
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2022

Keywords

Identification
organizational change
rationality
sensemaking
symbols

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business and International Management
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

More information

10.1017/jmo.2022.19

Cite this

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title = "Sense and sensibility: How CEOs construct meaning through symbols in organizational change",

abstract = "This paper investigates the rational and emotional functions of symbols in organizational change and how collective sensemaking and acceptance of organizational changes are facilitated by the emotional functioning of executive symbolism. Evidence from archived data, news reports, reviews, and case studies are used to support our theoretical analysis. Our opinion is that the CEO can incorporate symbols into not only the rational calculation process to convey the benefits and losses of organizational changes but also the emotional identification process to create new emotional connections and reduce the resistance of the members to organizational changes. We describe why and when the implementation of symbolism will gain the acceptance of members toward organizational change and explain the scenarios that apply for the two functions.",

keywords = "Identification, organizational change, rationality, sensemaking, symbols",

author = "Yu Wang and Lv, \{David Diwei\} and Wong, \{Christina W.Y.\}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Hailin Lan and Garry Bruton for their helpful comments and suggestions in the development of this paper. We also give special thanks to the editors and the reviewers for the considerable time and effort they invested in this manuscript. Their insight was critical to the developmental process for this paper. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71902192) and the Hong Kong Scholar Program (XJ2020002). 1 Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2022.",

year = "2022",

doi = "10.1017/jmo.2022.19",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Management and Organization",

issn = "1833-3672",

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T2 - How CEOs construct meaning through symbols in organizational change

AU - Wang, Yu

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AU - Wong, Christina W.Y.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Hailin Lan and Garry Bruton for their helpful comments and suggestions in the development of this paper. We also give special thanks to the editors and the reviewers for the considerable time and effort they invested in this manuscript. Their insight was critical to the developmental process for this paper. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71902192) and the Hong Kong Scholar Program (XJ2020002). 1 Publisher Copyright: © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2022.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - This paper investigates the rational and emotional functions of symbols in organizational change and how collective sensemaking and acceptance of organizational changes are facilitated by the emotional functioning of executive symbolism. Evidence from archived data, news reports, reviews, and case studies are used to support our theoretical analysis. Our opinion is that the CEO can incorporate symbols into not only the rational calculation process to convey the benefits and losses of organizational changes but also the emotional identification process to create new emotional connections and reduce the resistance of the members to organizational changes. We describe why and when the implementation of symbolism will gain the acceptance of members toward organizational change and explain the scenarios that apply for the two functions.

AB - This paper investigates the rational and emotional functions of symbols in organizational change and how collective sensemaking and acceptance of organizational changes are facilitated by the emotional functioning of executive symbolism. Evidence from archived data, news reports, reviews, and case studies are used to support our theoretical analysis. Our opinion is that the CEO can incorporate symbols into not only the rational calculation process to convey the benefits and losses of organizational changes but also the emotional identification process to create new emotional connections and reduce the resistance of the members to organizational changes. We describe why and when the implementation of symbolism will gain the acceptance of members toward organizational change and explain the scenarios that apply for the two functions.

KW - Identification

KW - organizational change

KW - rationality

KW - sensemaking

KW - symbols

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85128358593

U2 - 10.1017/jmo.2022.19

DO - 10.1017/jmo.2022.19

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85128358593

SN - 1833-3672

JO - Journal of Management and Organization

JF - Journal of Management and Organization

ER -

Sense and sensibility: How CEOs construct meaning through symbols in organizational change

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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