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In the Moment: A Phenomenological Case Study of the Dynamic Nature of Awareness and Sensemaking By Faith B. Power B.A. 1981, Marshall University M.A. 2004, The George Washington University A Dissertation Submitted to The Faculty of The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education May 15, 2011 Dissertation directed by Clyde V. Croswell Professorial Lecturer in Human and Organizational Learning The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of the George Washington University certifies that Faith B. Power has passed the final examination for the degree of Doctor of Education as of February 24, 2011. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. In the Moment: A Phenomenological Case Study of the Dynamic Nature of Awareness and Sensemaking Faith B. Power Dissertation Research Committee: Clyde V. Croswell, Professorial Lecturer in Human and Organizational Learning, Dissertation Director David Schwandt, Professor of Human and Organizational Learning, Committee Member James Leslie, Assistant Visiting Professor of Human and Organizational Learning, Committee Member ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my family, friends, and colleagues who have been extraordinarily supportive throughout this journey. To my husband, Curtis, who has been incredibly supportive, patient, and encouraging: I could not have taken this journey without you. To my son, Curtis, whose zest for life and intellect motivates me every day: I hope to one day encourage and support you during your own quest. To my mother, who taught me to work hard, never give up, and always give my best: I am grateful for your support, guidance, patience, and encouragement during my educational adventure. To my Divine Creator, thank you for your eternal love and gracious acceptance. In memory of Dr. and Mrs. Curtis G. Power, Jr., whose intellectual curiosity inspired me and whose presence I felt throughout my academic journey. To my brother-in-law, Bill, whose courageous battle with cancer challenged me to persevere and finish the work I began. iii Acknowledgments This journey would not have been possible without the assistance, guidance, and support from many people. I would like to acknowledge my chair, Dr. Clyde Croswell. I am thankful for your dedication, commitment, and unselfish support to your students and to the process of others’ growth and development. Your unwavering support, guidance, and positive encouragement were invaluable to my understanding of the subject. I would also like to thank my dissertation committee members. Dr. David Schwandt, your cutting clarity and wealth of knowledge were critical to this process. Dr. James Leslie, Dr. John Goss, and Dr. William Neal, your constructive feedback and interest in the topic were very motivating and invaluable to my academic journey. How fortunate I was to work with a committee committed to my success. I am grateful to my cohort members for their support, encouragement, and friendship. Of particular note, I want to thank Dr. Bob Hamilton, Pat Press, and Eliot Jardines for their empathy, advice, and comic relief at the right moments. I am indebted to Dr. William Shendow for being instrumental in helping to inspire my doctoral journey. Many years ago you saw the promise of a young woman and provided encouragement and support. I will be forever grateful for the confidence you placed in me. Finally, I am grateful to Nancy McGuire and Sue Simmons, as they helped me navigate the many administrative channels in academia. I offer blessings to these two very skillful and caring women. Aside from these direct contributors, many people along the way shaped my thinking about sensemaking. Without their influence, I could never have formulated this iv research. In the words of Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” v Abstract of the Dissertation In the Moment: A Phenomenological Case Study of the Dynamic Nature of Awareness and Sensemaking Sensemaking plays a central role in determining human behavior within organizations (Weick, 1979, 1995; Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, 2005). Sensemaking is an effort to give stability to the organizational environment by paying attention to it. We pay attention and extract a particular cue, then link it with some other idea that clarifies the meaning of the cue. In essence, individuals decide what to pay attention to. The complexities of today’s organizations call for an expanded view of the sensemaking process, one that takes into account the subjective, present-moment aspects of the phenomenon (Maitlis & Sonenshein, 2010). This phenomenological case study was conducted in situ at a regional healthcare system and explored how individual awareness contributes to one’s ability to make sense of his or her environment, revealing the interdependent, reciprocal, and mutually constitutive processes at work in this psychosocial and biologically embodied phenomenon. Specifically, present-moment sensemaking is the confluence of awareness and intentionality; intersubjectivity is a form of intercorporality through which common meaning is created; and embodied responses, which emerge as autonomic impressions (physical and emotional responses), are reflective of the way in which sensemaking manifests in subjective experience and can be understood as embodied wisdom. This researcher developed a model of present-moment sensemaking that revealed the relationship between self-organizing, embodied wisdom, and decision making, which vi are the inseparable outcome of the interaction of intentional behaviors, cognitive conception, and affective perception. vii Table of Contents Page Dedication ....................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ............................................................................ iv Abstract of the Dissertation ............................................................. vi List of Figures ................................................................................. xi List of Tables.................................................................................. xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................ 1 Problem Statement...............................................................................................................1 Significance of the Study.....................................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study..........................................................................................................12 Research Question .............................................................................................................12 Conceptual Frame..............................................................................................................12 Awareness.....................................................................................................................13 Mindfulness ..................................................................................................................18 Sensemaking .................................................................................................................20 Assumptions ......................................................................................................................22 Summary of Methodology.................................................................................................23 Delimitation of the Study...................................................................................................25 Limitations of the Study ....................................................................................................26 Summary............................................................................................................................26 Definition of Terms ...........................................................................................................27 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................32 Sensemaking as a Psychosocial Process............................................................................32 Sensemaking as a Biological Process................................................................................38 Awareness..........................................................................................................................46 Mindfulness .......................................................................................................................54 Summary............................................................................................................................63 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...................................64 Qualitative Research Design..............................................................................................64 Rationale for Choice of Approach ................................................................................64 Assumptions..................................................................................................................66 Phenomenology.............................................................................................................67 Sensemaking and a Phenomenological Enactive Approach .........................................68 Overview of Study Design............................................................................................72

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