Knowledge in Organisations: a Sensemaking View

In this paper we investigate social dimension of knowledge in an organisational context. Inspired and informed by sensemaking views of organisations (Weick, 1995), our inquiry focuses on knowledge as both an input to and a product of sensemaking processes at four different levels in organisations: the intra-subjective sensemaking of an individual; the inter-subjective sensemaking in social interactions; the generic subjective (organisational) and the extrasubjective or cultural level of sensemaking (Wiley, 1988, 1994). Starting from this basic framework, we develop a Sensemaking Model of Knowledge in organisations that identifies four types of knowledge—individual, collective, organisational and cultural knowledge—created, used and maintained at respective sensemaking levels. The objective of the paper is to demonstrate how the Sensemaking Model can help us understand knowledge management phenomena and explain their impacts on organisational performance. To achieve this objective we first describe the Model and then illustrate its application and contribution by drawing from field studies of knowledge management in three different organisations.