The strategising of middle managers through sensemaking and sensegiving: a case study of a financial services provider in South Africa

Abstract

Middle managers are tasked with supporting new initiatives and change, while at the same time experiencing challenges in making sense of the strategic initiative and giving sense to other members of the organisation. This dissonance experienced by middle managers tasked with change informed the topic of the research. The current study explores the strategising of middle managers through sensemaking and sensegiving during a strategic initiative in a single case study within a financial services provider in South Africa. The study seeks to examine the phenomenon through the theoretical lenses of the strategy-as-practice perspective, middle manager perspective and the theory of sensemaking and sensegiving. The study adopted a qualitative-exploratory design which involved collecting data through semi-structured in-depth individual faceto-face interviews. Data was analysed through coding, using thematic analysis and the categorisation and interpretation of common themes. Three main themes emerged from the study which were categorised as middle manager dissonance, middle manager sensemaking and sensegiving actions and middle manager practices in sensemaking and sensegiving. These themes offer insight into middle manager strategising, sensemaking and sensegiving during a new strategic initiative. The study concludes that when the organisation introduced a new strategic initiative middle managers’ knowledge was disturbed. These middle managers experienced various emotions as they were trying to make sense of the changes while giving sense to other members of the organisation. Findings confirmed delays in implementation due to lack of understanding of the change by middle managers. The study also concludes that although middle managers experienced challenges initially, they moved into a task of “selling” the new initiative through sensemaking and sensegiving. Middle managers got involved in various practices such as team discussions and information sharing sessions as they make sense and give sense to other team members. Through this interaction, middle managers aligned others and created common understanding while they influence them through sensegiving. Findings of the current study may offer valuable knowledge to organisations in the financial sector and practitioners tasked with v

new strategic initiatives. The study also responds to calls for more research using the strategy-as-practice perspective and the theory of sensemaking and sensegiving.

Abaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi banikezwe umsebenzi wokuxhasa imizamo emisha kanye nezinguquko, kanti ngesikhathi esisodwa bahlangabezana nezinselele ekwenzeni imizamo yamasu ukuthi izwakale kwamanye amalungu enhlangano. Le nkinga ihlangabezana nabaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi abanikezwe umsebenzi wezinguquko ezinomthelela kwisihloko socwaningo. Isifundo socwaningo siphenyisisa ukusetshenziswa kwamasu ngabaphathi abasesigabeni esimaphakathi ngokuveza umbono ozwakalayo kanye nokunikeza umbono ozwakalayo ngesikhathi kunohlelo lwemizamo yamasu kwisibonelo esisodwa ngaphakathi kwezinhlangano ezihlinzekana ngezimali eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo lunqume ukubukisisa lolu daba ngamehlo omqondo wengqubo yamasu, ngomqondo wabaphathi besigaba esimaphakathi kanye nethiyori yokwenza umqondo uzwakale kanye neyokunikeza umqondo. Uhlelo lwedizayini ehlolisisayo (qualitative-exploratory design) lwamuke lwa, kanti lona lwaluxuba ukuqoqwa kwedatha ngokusebenzisa indlela embaxambili ejulile yenhlolovo yokuxoxisana kwabantu ubuso nobuso. Idatha yahlaziywa ngokuphawula, ngokusebenzisa izindlela zokuchaza indikimba kanye nokwehlukanisa izindikimba kanye nokuchaza izindikimba ezejwayelekile. Kuye kwavela izindikimba ezisemqoka ezintathu ngaphakathi kocwaningo, okuyizindikimba ezehlukaniswe njengokungavumelani kwesigaba sabaphathi esimaphakathi, izenzo zabaphathi abasesigabeni esimaphakathi ezinomqondo ozwakalayo kanye nezinikeza umqondo. Lezi zindikimba zinikeza ulwazi olungaphakathi mayelana nohlelo lokuphatha lwesigaba esimaphakathi ekuhleleni amasu, umqondo ozwakalayo kanye nokunikeza umqondo ngesikhathi sokuhlela amasu amasha. Isifundo socwaningo siye saphetha ngokuthi uma inhlangano yethula isu elisha, ulwazi lwabaphathi besigaba esimaphakathi luyaphazamiseka. Laba baphathi besigaba esimaphakathi bahlangabezana nemizwa eyahlukahlukene ngesikhathi bezama ukwenza izinguquko ukuba zibe nomqondo ozwakalayo kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi lezi zinguquko zinikeze amanye amalungu enhlangano umbono ozwakalayo. Ulwazi olutholakele luyaqinisekisa ukuthi kuye kwabakhona ukubambezeleka ekusetshenzisweni kohlelo ngenxa yokuthi abaphathi besigaba esimaphakathi abazwisisanga izinguquko. Ucwaningo futhi luye lwaphetha ngokuthiyize abaphathi besigaba esiphakathi behlangabezene nezingqinamba ekuqaleni, kodwa bangene emsebenzini “wokuthengisa” imizamo emisha ngokukwenza izinguquko zizwakale futhi zilethe umqondo ozwakalayo. Abaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi baye babandakanyeka ezenzweni ezahlukahlukene ezinjengezingxoxo zeqembu kanye nezithangameni zokwabelana ngolwazi njengoba benza umqondo ozwakalayo futhi bebenikeza umqondo ozwakalayo kwamanye amalungu eqembu. Ngalokhu kuhlangana, abaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi bahlanganisa abanye futhi bakhe ulwazi olufanayo njengoba bebaguqula ngohlelo lokunikezwa kolwazi. Ulwazi olutholakele locwaningo lwamanje lunganikeza ulwazi olubalulekile kwinhlangano emkhakheni wezezimali kanti nabasebenzi ngezimali banikezwe umsebenzi wokucabanga eminye imizamo yamasu amasha. Ucwaningo nalo luphendula ngokucela ukuthi kwenziwe ucwaningo oluningi ngokusebenzisa umqondo wamasu njengezingqubo kanye nethiyoriyokwenza umqondo ozwakalayo nokunikeza umqondo ozwakalayo.

Batsamaisi ba bohareng ba filwe mosebetsi wa ho tshehetsa merero e metjha le phetoho, empa ba ntse ba kopana le diphephetso tsa ho utlwisisa mekgwa e sebediswang ho fihlela dipheo le ho etsa hore ditho tse ding di utlwisise se etsahalang kgwebong. Ho se dumellane hona ha mehopolo ya batsamaisi ba bohareng ba filweng mosebetsi wa phetoho ke hona ho entseng hore phuputso e etswe ka sehlooho sena. Phuputso e batlisisitse ka mawa ao batsamaisi ba bohareng ba tlang ka oona ka ho tlameha hore bona ba bontshe kutlwisiso ya se etsahalang le ho etsa hore baokamedi ba bona le ditho tse ding di utlwisise, nakong eo ho tluwang ka mekgwa e ka sebediswang ho fihlela dipheo, phuputsong e le nngwe e ithutang ka tsela eo bankakarolo ba palo e nyane ba etsang dintho ka yona phanong ya ditshebeletso tsa ditjhelete Aforika Borwa. Phuputso e hlahloba ketsahalo ena ka kgopolo ya tshebediso ya lewa, ho ya ka mohopolo wa motsamaisi ya bohareng le mohopolokakaretso wa ho utlwisisa le ho etsa hore baokamedi le ditho tse ding di utlwisise se etsahalang kgwebong. Mokgwa wa ho fuputsa e bile wa ho botsa dipotso ka botebo ho fumana dintlha ka botlalo ka ho bokella datha ka ho tshwara diinthaviu tsa molomo le molomo. Datha ena e ile ya sekasekwa ka hloko, e fetoletswe khoutung e sebedisetswang ho e hlopha ho ya ka mookotaba o utlwisisehang. Phuputso e bile le mookaba e meraro e ka sehloohong, e hlophisitsweng ho ya diphapano tsa menahano ya batsamaisi ba bohareng, diketso tsa batsamaisi ba bohareng tse bontshang kutlwisiso ya boemo boo ba leng ho bona le dintho tse etsahalang hore ba kgone ho nka diqeto tse loketseng le diketso bontshang bokgoni ba ho etsa hore baokamedi le ditho tse ding di utlwisise. Mookataba ena e fana ka kutlwisiso mererong e etswang ka hloko, kutlwisisong ya se etsahalang le ho etsa hore ba bang ba utlwisise diqeto tse nkwang nakong eo ho tluwang ka mokgwa o motjha wa ho fihlela dipheo. Phethelo ya phuputso ena e bile hore ha kgwebo e qala ho sebedisa mokgwa o motjha wa ho fihlela dipheo tsa yona, batsamaisi ba bohareng ba a kgathatseha. Batsamaisi bana ba bohareng ba eba le maikutlo a fapaneng ha ba leka ho utlwisisa diphetoho tsena ba ntse ba lokela ho etsa hore basebetsi ba bang ba utlwisisa se etsahalang kgwebong. Ho fihletswe hore moralo ona wa phetoho o dieha ho sebetsa ka ha batsamaisi ba bohareng ba sa o utlwisise. Hape phuputso e phethetse ka hore le ha batsamaisi ba bohareng ba e ba le diphephetso tse itseng ha ba qala, ba qetella ba etsa hore moralo o motjha “o amohelehe” ka hore bona ba bontshe kutlwisiso ya oona mme ba tsebe ho nka diqeto tse tla etsa hore baokamedi le basebetsi ba bang le bona ba utlwisise. Basebetsi ba bohareng ba nka karolo dinthong tse fapaneng tse jwalo ka dipuisano tsa dihlopha tsa tshebetso le dikopanong tseo ho hlahlellanwang ho tsona ha ba ntse ba bontsha kutlwisiso le ho etsa hore basebetsi ba bang ba a utlwisisa. Ka dipuisano tsena, basebetsi ba bohareng ba etsa hore ditho tse ding di be le kutlwisiso eo bohle ba nang le yona ha ba ntse ba etsa hore le bona ba utlwisise. Diphihlelo tsa phuputso ya jwale di ka fa dikgwebo tse leng lekaleng la ditjhelete lesedi la bohlokwa mmoho le basebetsi ba lokelang ho etsa mesebetsi e hlokang tshebediso ya mekgwa e metjha ya ho tlisa phetoho tshebetsong. Hape, phuputso e fana ka karabo tlhokehong ya dipatlisiso tse ding tsa mohopolo wa ho sebedisa lewa le mohopolokakaretso wa ho bontsha kutlwisiso ya se etsahalang le ho etsa hore ditho tse ding di utlwisise.