Making Sense of Organizational Actions with Virtue Frames and Its Links to Organizational Attachment

Abstract

This paper analyzes members' sensemaking of organizational actions using virtue frames and its effects on members' relationships with the organization in the context of the events of September 11th. We explore the use of three virtue frames to make sense of a university's response to the events of 9–11-01. We examine the effects of interpreted virtuousness of actions on members' identification with and attachment to the organization through members' emotions, their self-construals and overall images of the organization. Our study sheds light on how sensemaking about the virtuousness of organizational actions influences members' cognitive and emotional connection to the organization.

Positive Work-Related Identity as a Mediator of the Relationship between Compassion at Work and Employee Outcomes

“…Experiencing compassion among organizational members develops the perception that they are being taken care of by an organization, leading to key outcomes favorable to the employee (i.e., job satisfaction) and the organization (i.e., affective organizational commitment) (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). Rhee et al (2008), for example, found that compassionate acts driven by organizations in response to the events of 9/11 affected members' sense-making of how they perceive their organizations, resulting in higher affective organizational attachment. Compassion at work also enables employees to achieve a healthy balance between work and their personal lives, decreasing interpersonal conflict and in turn increasing affective commitment (Allen, 2001).…”

Paradox in Positive Organizational Change

“…Other research has found that dominant positivity also enhances creativity (Amabile, Barsade, Mueller, & Staw, 2005), interpersonal trust in relationships (Anderson & Thompson, 2004;Rhee, Dutton, & Bagozzi, 2006), productivity (Bolino, Turnley, & Bloodgood, 2002;Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002), and greater mindfulness (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007). Individuals and organizations that demonstrate positive energy are by far the most successful (Baker et al, 2003), and the attribute of positive psychological capitalconsisting of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy-predicts individual health, motivation, commitment, and absenteeism at work better than does job satisfaction (F. Luthans & Youssef, 2007;K.…”

Giving Meaning to Everyday Work After Terrorism

“…This creates positive experiences and, by association, identification with the organization. For example, employees may coordinate donations from the office or organize vigils (Dutton et al, 2006; Rhee, Dutton, & Bagozzi, 2006). However, compassion scholars also conclude that everyday work loses personal significance.…”

“…profitability or innovativeness), virtue frames lead people to consider whether the organization is humane, just and courageous. Compassionate action includes donations to salient victims as well as managerial acknowledgements of tragedy, ranging from impromptu meetings to organized vigils (Rhee et al, 2006). In sum, because tragic narratives encourage people making sense to focus on helpers and victims, human suffering and compassion towards victims, I propose: Proposition 2b: Paying attention to tragic narratives will make individuals more likely to construct stories about their work supporting culturally defined ingroups (positive meaning: work as compassion).…”