Conceptualization of Sensemaking and its Practical Implications in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

The current paper has introduced sensemaking as one of the concepts emerging from cognitive sciences. Also, attempts have been made to explore the practical implications of this concept in industrial and organizational psychology. Sensemaking has been regarded as an effort toward systematic and logical understanding of events through which individuals make sense of their environmental phenomena. This process facilitates the understanding of spontaneous changes in external environment and in turn results in having appropriate reactions. In developed countries, the theoretical concepts and practical implications of sensemaking have recently been turned out as important and strategic themes in industrial and organizational psychology. In this paper, first, the conceptualization of sensemaking has been dealt with; and then, the components differentiating it from other processes have been taken into consideration. Additionally, some practical implications of sensemaking in industrial and organizational psychology have been reviewed. In this regard, the implications of sensemaking in reducing job burn-out, promoting job satisfaction, and increasing occupational motivation in organizations have been mentioned. Ultimately, the possible challenges has been illuminated.