Page 54 - Journal of Management Inquiry, July 2018

268 Journal of Management Inquiry 27(3)

1986, 2005; Orlikowski & Scott, 2008). Inscriptions are mate- which is characterized by acting on automatic pilot, preclud-
rial textual translations of any setting, such as written texts, ing attention to new information, relying on past categories,
tables and charts, numbers, and lists, which are to be acted and fixating on a single perspective (Weick et al., 1999;
upon (Latour, 1986). In our case, we ask how the OTAP, as a Weick & Putnam 2006). The Weickian perspective on mind-
nonhuman actor with a specific materiality, enables or inhibits fulness tends to treat it as the opposite of routine behavior. It
mindful organizing, which is represented and operationalized is now widely accepted, however, that routines and preexist-
by the five processes of mindful organizing. ing categories are crucial for mindful organizing due to three
Our findings show that the OTAP frequently supports the reasons: First, routines serve as a repertoire of action that
five processes of mindful organizing which echoes previous enables mindfulness by freeing scare resources of attention
research in this regard (e.g., Melby & Toussaint, 2011). In (Levinthal & Rerup, 2006). Second, routines have to be
addition, applying our theoretical lens to our data brings enacted, and this can be done more or less mindfully (Gärtner,
aspects of mindful organizing to the fore—inscribing the big 2011). Third, routines or preexisting categories set expecta-
picture, inscribing temporality, and inscribing accountabil- tions for what should occur. Without expectations, it is diffi-
ity—that have rarely been considered so far, neither by stud- cult to detect deviations or risks and to foresee the possible
ies that focus on interactions among humans nor by inquiries dysfunctional effects of adhering to a chosen course of action
into the role of tools in mindful organizing. We find and (Vogus & Sutcliffe, 2012).
detail ambiguous relations between the tool and its impact on Mindful organizing is a social process that becomes col-
mindful organizing. For example, the very shortcomings of lective through the actions and interactions among individu-
the tool can, ironically, contribute to mindful organizing. als (Vogus & Sutcliffe, 2012; Weick et al., 1999). These
By focusing on tools and outlining a model of the socio- social processes are as follows: (a) preoccupation with fail-
materiality of mindful organizing, our study adds to the ure, (b) reluctance to simplify interpretations, (c) sensitivity
existing literature, which is dominated by human-centered to operations, (d) commitment to resilience, and (e) defer-
approaches to mindful organizing. The contribution is to ence to expertise (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2006, 2007; Weick
“pick up” the importance of tools and integrate their role in a et al., 1999). The five processes (also called practices, for
model of mindful organizing. This allows discussing issues example, Sutcliffe, 2011) emerged from case studies, and
of temporality that go beyond conceptualizing time as a mere subsequent research developed more systematic behavioral
resource and the impact of accountability as it is produced in measures that researchers have used as proxies for identify-
everyday work. ing mindful organizing. Among these practices are fostering
perspective taking (acting with awareness of how one’s
Theoretical Background actions affect others) and synthesizing the resulting aware-
ness into a more nuanced, shared understanding (Vogus &
Mindful Organizing Sutcliffe, 2007a, 2007b, 2012). These practices enable
employees to identify where potential failures reside in
High-reliability organizations (HROs) aim at reducing vul- ongoing operations at an early stage (see Processes 1 and 3)
nerability to unexpected events and do so by establishing and to produce rather complex interpretations of what is hap-
mindful organizing (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2006, 2007; Weick pening because several perspectives are considered (see
et al., 1999). Mindful organizing is defined as the collective Processes 2 and 5).
capability of continuously refining expectations based on Prior research has drawn on the five processes and
newer experiences and drawing on a more nuanced apprecia- explored their effects in different work contexts such as air-
tion of context while retaining awareness of the big picture craft carriers and nuclear power plants (Weick & Sutcliffe,
about ongoing operations (Gärtner & Huber, 2015; Vogus & 2007; Weick et al., 1999), logistics and procurement
Sutcliffe, 2012; Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007). If collective mind- (Valorinta, 2009), architectural design and construction
fulness is established, members of a work group are more (Carlo et al., 2012), or medical work (Melby & Toussaint,
likely to notice changes from what is routinely expected, to 2011; Sutcliffe, 2011; Vogus & Sutcliffe, 2007a). As our
see how ongoing events may unfold, and to quickly respond research interest is at the intersection of the impact of com-
to unanticipated events before they amplify to serious errors puter-based tools on mindful organizing and the role of
(Vogus & Sutcliffe, 2007b, 2012; Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007). mindful organizing in medical work, we focus on studies
In brief, mindful organizing induces “a rich awareness of dis- from these two literature streams and start with the latter.
criminatory detail and a capacity for action” to keep things One set of studies of mindful organizing in medical work
on track (Weick et al., 1999, p. 88). If the distinctiveness of offers hands-on advice on how to implement the five pro-
deviations is lost in broader categories, the quality of organi- cesses (Carroll & Rudolph, 2006; Hines et al., 2008; Sutcliffe,
zational attention and an organization’s action repertoire 2011). For example, Hines and colleagues (2008, p. 7) list
decreases (Weick & Putnam, 2006; Weick & Sutcliffe, 2006). that “sensitivity to operations” encompasses checks of
The result is a less mindful or mindless way of organizing, patient identity, vital signs, medications as well as awareness