SYMBOLIC INTEGRATION: AN ORIGINAL CONCEPT TO INVESTIGATE GUIDED SENSEMAKING AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

This paper introduces the theoretical concept of “symbolic integration” (SI) as a novel framework to examine the relationship between guided sensemaking and organizational effectiveness, particularly in non-routine contexts. The conceptualization of SI begins with a discussion on the importance of coordinated distributed behavior in enabling systems to adapt to changing conditions, based on GST-informed assumptions regarding the relationship between system integration and the environment. A critical review of the leadership and sensemaking literature identifies guided sensemaking as a key process through which leaders can foster coordinated distributed behavior in organizations. Significant research gaps are highlighted, particularly regarding the detailed understanding of the behaviors that leaders enact to facilitate coordinated distributed behavior. Drawing on the GST-informed view that both individuals and organizations are complex systems capable of manipulating complex symbols, SI is developed by abstracting general systems principles from the observation of cognitive processes in individuals. Specifically, this conceptualization is inspired by Baars' Global Workspace Theory and Dennett’s notion of the self as a center of narrative gravity, which involves the process of creating a coherent self-concept or narrative through higher-order cognitive processes. Therefore, an argument is made that SI can further our understanding of effective leadership as the act of moderating the collective construction of a shared narrative about the organization’s functioning and its interactions with the environment. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, including a mixed-method approach to explore the dynamics of guided sensemaking and symbolic integration in various organizational settings, with the aim of empirically validating the proposed theoretical model.