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Making Sense of
Sensemaking in
High-Risk Organizations
B. E. Danielsen
NTNU
INTRODUCTION
Safety in high-risk organizations is created by the everyday behavior of all employees
in the organization – at all levels – as they go about getting their job done ( Gregory &
Shanahan, 2017). Sensemaking – the fundamental human quest for meaning – is the
basis for human behavior, in formal organizations as well as life in general ( Weick,
Sutcliffe,  & Obstfeld, 2005). Sensemaking has been an influential perspective in
CONTENTS
Introduction
53
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The Concept of Sensemaking
54
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Sensemaking Definition
55
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The Sensemaking Process
55
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Triggers for Sensemaking
56
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Sensemaking and Enactment
56
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The Outcome of the Sensemaking Process
57
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Aspects of Sensemaking
57
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Sensemaking and Temporal Orientation
57
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Sensemaking and Language
58
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Factors Influencing Sensemaking
58
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Sensemaking and Expectations
58
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Sensemaking and Emotions
59
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Embodied Sensemaking
59
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Sensemaking Is Social
60
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Sensemaking and Identity
61
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Sensemaking and Technology
61
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Sensemaking and Meaningfulness through Work
63
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Sensemaking in Safety-Critical Situations
64
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Breakdown in Team Sensemaking
64
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Adaptive Sensemaking
66
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Conclusion
67
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References
67
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