Reflexive Sensemaking and Sensegiving: An Exploratory Study of Human Resources Analytics Practitioners
Khan, Manzoor A.
Khan, Manzoor A.
Publication Date
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
Peer-Reviewed
Open Access status
Accepted for publication
Institution
University of Bradford
Department
Faculty of Management and Law and Social Sciences
Awarded
2024
Embargo end date
Collections
Additional title
Abstract
While the literature identifies the integral role of human resources analytics practitioners and their capabilities as the defining criteria in extracting the true value of human resources analytics, limited attention has been paid to exploring how the role is executed in practice, nor is much understood from a required capabilities perspective. Accordingly, this research seeks to explore the emerging role of human resource analytics practitioners through the theoretical lens of sensemaking and sensegiving. The study adopts a qualitative research design to collect data from 30 human resources analytics practitioners in the United Arab Emirates through the extended semi-structured narrative of practice interviews and document analysis. The study develops a repertoire of sensemaking and sensegiving practices and their underlying activities to explain how practitioners, while drawing on contextual knowledge, reflexively enact cognitive-discursive and material practices of 'pursuing coherence', 'setting up and delivering conversations', ‘sensible enactment through material support’ and ‘navigating paradoxes’. It shows how practitioners knowledgeably enact these four sets of practices and their underlying activities through 'performing reflexive conversations, underpinning their sensemaking and sensegiving as they perform their analytical work. The research offers insight into how ‘reflexive sensemaking and sensegiving are enacted to support each other through the interplay between cognitive-discursive and material practices. From a practical perspective, the study provides practical insights into how practitioners' capabilities can be built to operate skillfully in their boundary-spanning role through five interlinked situated cognitive-discursive practices with material support.
Version
Citation
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Thesis
Qualification name
PhD