Sensemaking in Transition: How newcomers construct organizational culture

Sammanfattning

Organizational socialization and onboarding have received considerable scholarly attention, with effective onboarding programs linked to several individual and organizational outcomes. Despite the extensive research within the field, how newcomers make sense of their new organizational environment remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates how newcomers make sense of organizational culture during organizational socialization through a qualitative case study approach based on in-depth interviews, participant observations, and documentary analysis. Drawing on a theoretical framework of normative control, individual sensemaking, and organizational forms of sensemaking, the study examines how organizational cues and cultural frameworks are interpreted and internalized by newcomers. The findings suggest that organizational culture is not uniformly understood but interpreted differently depending on local interactional conditions and organizational contexts. In particular, the proximity between cultural articulation and everyday work practice substantially influences newcomer understanding and enactment of organizational culture. Furthermore, managerial and leadership involvement shapes the perceived relevance and legitimacy of cultural frameworks. The study contributes to research on organizational socialization by emphasizing the interpretive and socially situated nature of newcomer sensemaking.