Sensemaking and institutionalization in armed conflict: Applying concepts to practice

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to capture the sensemaking process employed by soldiers to cope with the challenges presented to them by the environment in which they are operating. The research identified the various individual and situational variables that impacted the sensemaking process and how they moderated the intensity of work and non-work pressures experienced by soldiers. A combination of exploratory and descriptive research design was used to investigate the research objectives.The researcher used a grounded theory approach to capture and analyse the narratives of security forces. This study revealed that soldiers’ sensemaking processes were organized around the following themes: identity, work, significance, feelings, dealing with stress, and dealing with excesses and aberrations. Further, the role of institutional practices in sensemaking processes remains underexamined, and most of the available research uses anecdotal or atheoretical approach, the current study addresses both a theoretical and an important empirical gap. It demonstrates that institutions provide building blocks and actively direct action formation, as well as moderate the sensemaking process to help employees cope with attendant pressures in a better manner and guide their behaviour in exceptional situations.