Abstract:
Many scholars scrutinize the sensemaking process of various groups when they are
subjected to a crisis or change occurrence. In the organization setting, exploring this process is
relevant because various organizations face different crises or changes over time. As such, this
study explores the sensemaking process of private school teachers during an organizational
change (i.e., the sudden shift to remote work because of the COVID-19 pandemic), and it seeks
to determine how communication has helped them with it. This study utilized Karl Weick’s
Theory of Organizing (1979) as a theoretical backdrop, as Weick himself is the proponent of the
sensemaking concept. Moreover, this research utilized a case study design, collected data
through in-depth interviews with six teachers from one private school in Cavite, and analyzed
them through thematic analysis. Findings show that the sensemaking process of the private
school teachers in this organization adhered to the phases of sensemaking as illustrated in the
model of Weick’s Theory of Organizing. During the first few months of the remote work
implementation, it was found that the teachers had little to no technical background in navigating
online teaching platforms, which is why they initially had negative perceptions toward the new
work setup. However, despite the uncertainties they felt, they still strived to learn new things and
remain in the organization as it was also found that the teachers had a positive attitude towards
work. Other than this, having open horizontal and upward communication in the organization
primarily helped the teachers the most to overcome the equivocality they initially felt toward
remote work. It was found that the communication cycles in their organization, specifically from
the perspectives of the teachers, helped them see the benefits or the plausible image of the
organizational change in context. In conclusion, open communication is the center of successful
sensemaking, specifically during an organizational change.
