TY - JOUR

T1 - Entrepreneurship-driven organizational transformation for sustainability

T2 - a sensemaking lens

AU - Hübel, Charlott

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

PY - 2022/1/24

Y1 - 2022/1/24

N2 - PurposeThis paper adopts a sensemaking lens to explore the process of entrepreneurship-driven organizational transformation for sustainability.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis is based on an in-depth case study of a large European meat company. Sensemaking by top and middle managers is analyzed over the period of 18 months.FindingsThe findings show how, over time, bidirectional sensemaking, that is, sensemaking for and of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship, directed and accelerated organizational transformation for sustainability. The case company transformed with regard to organizational strategy, structure, operations and identity. The process revealed temporally different involvement of top and middle managers in sensemaking.Originality/valueThis paper offers unique insights into fast and emergent sustainability-oriented change in an established organization within a highly topical context. The results highlight how continuous and increasingly shared sensemaking can help top and middle managers navigate organizational change for sustainability in dynamic environments over time.

AB - PurposeThis paper adopts a sensemaking lens to explore the process of entrepreneurship-driven organizational transformation for sustainability.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis is based on an in-depth case study of a large European meat company. Sensemaking by top and middle managers is analyzed over the period of 18 months.FindingsThe findings show how, over time, bidirectional sensemaking, that is, sensemaking for and of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship, directed and accelerated organizational transformation for sustainability. The case company transformed with regard to organizational strategy, structure, operations and identity. The process revealed temporally different involvement of top and middle managers in sensemaking.Originality/valueThis paper offers unique insights into fast and emergent sustainability-oriented change in an established organization within a highly topical context. The results highlight how continuous and increasingly shared sensemaking can help top and middle managers navigate organizational change for sustainability in dynamic environments over time.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

KW - Sustainability

KW - Transformation

KW - corporate entrepreneurship

KW - Organizational change

KW - sustainability

KW - transformation

KW - corporate entrepreneurship

KW - Organizational change

KW - sensemaking

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122321780&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/JOCM-03-2021-0067

DO - 10.1108/JOCM-03-2021-0067

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 35

SP - 240

EP - 256

JO - Journal of Organizational Change Management

JF - Journal of Organizational Change Management

SN - 0953-4814

IS - 1

ER -