TY - JOUR
T1 - Making Sense of Leaders’ Exits
T2 - Extending Exit Socialization Research through Sensemaking
AU - Godager, Emily A.
AU - Coker, Michael C.
AU - Davis, Benjamin L.
AU - Pink, Kari J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Central States Communication Association.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Changes in leadership are common in organizations, bringing about change and uncertainty for remaining organizational members. Organizational exit research commonly examines exit experiences from the perspective of exiting organizational members. We utilize sensemaking theory to explore remaining organizational members’ experiences surrounding a leader’s exit, thereby contributing to and extending this body of literature. We collected narratives from 53 participants who experienced a leader’s exit using a qualitative online survey. Results of our thematic analysis identify two important sensemaking experiences: learning about the leader’s exit and using cues to anticipate the future. Our discussion includes theoretical implications for sensemaking theory, organizational socialization, and studying remaining member experiences as a part of the organizational exit process.
AB - Changes in leadership are common in organizations, bringing about change and uncertainty for remaining organizational members. Organizational exit research commonly examines exit experiences from the perspective of exiting organizational members. We utilize sensemaking theory to explore remaining organizational members’ experiences surrounding a leader’s exit, thereby contributing to and extending this body of literature. We collected narratives from 53 participants who experienced a leader’s exit using a qualitative online survey. Results of our thematic analysis identify two important sensemaking experiences: learning about the leader’s exit and using cues to anticipate the future. Our discussion includes theoretical implications for sensemaking theory, organizational socialization, and studying remaining member experiences as a part of the organizational exit process.
KW - leader exits
KW - Organizational exits
KW - organizational member experiences
KW - organizational socialization
KW - qualitative methods
KW - sensemaking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121363655&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2021.2011354
U2 - 10.1080/10510974.2021.2011354
DO - 10.1080/10510974.2021.2011354
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85121363655
SN - 1051-0974
VL - 73
SP - 85
EP - 100
JO - Communication Studies
JF - Communication Studies
IS - 1
ER -