An insight into the black box of de Sitter. A qualitative study on the process of sense-giving practices middle managers perform to create fit between a strategic goal and an organisation structure.

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2018-07-13
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en
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Abstract
This study focussed on using a narrative approach to explain how middle managers engaged in a process of sense giving practices to create a fit, as defined by de Sitter (1998), between a strategic goal and organisational structure. The results of this study indicate that a process of nine sense-giving practices have been applied in order to create fit between a strategic goal and the macro-production structure: 1) support seeking, 2) structural interventions 3) communication practices, 4) operationalize goals to behaviour, 5) indicating appropriate behaviour, 6) creating collaboration, 7) priority setting, 8) problem solving, 9) increasing unity. These sense-giving practices were separated into two processes, differing in 1) change initiator 2) scope on the organisation 3) attitude of middle managers. This study found that the efficiency and effectiveness criterion, as defined by de Sitter (1998) is translated into organisational structure by middle managers’ sense giving practices that put support-seeking, - and unifying culture/ goals centre via an emergent process. This indicates that efficiency and effectiveness criteria can be designed; however, realising these involves other processes not considered in the theory of de Sitter (1998). The study was conducted at the empirical context of a divisionalised firm (Mintzberg, 1989). This organisation initiated an acquisition strategy between 2000 and 2007 and acquired two divisionalised firms (Mintzberg, 1980): Maccaferri and Saneoux (Neff group) – all synonym names - (2000) Plastal and Weldon (Plastal group) (2007). This study targets the process of sense-giving practices middle managers performed to create a fit between this strategic goal of integrating the acquired organizations into the TFG-furniture structure, from 2000 through 2018. Sense-giving is the dominant theoretical concept in this study. It enabled a targeting approach on middle managers’ practices focussed on consensus building for their vision to important stakeholders (signalling) and influencing this vision with respect to these stakeholders (energising) (Gioia & Chittipeddi, 1991); the results of this study indicate the presence of a third sense giving practice. Middle managers have been chosen as unit of analysis because of their dominant role in change initiatives and because of their neglected role by de Sitter (1998). This study followed a qualitative, single case study approach. Data were gathered by a combination of an interview strategy with a document study. This data were analysed following an inductive research approach in combination with a template analysis (Symon & Cassel, 2015).
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen