A growing number of organizations developing complex innovation projects face the dilemma that complexity demands more stability, resulting in increased sensemaking efforts, whilst innovation requires instability which encourages the organization to breakdown meaning. The aim of this study is to shed light on the simultaneous need for a strong sensemaking process and a breaking down in meaning in complex innovation projects by analyzing the collective sensemaking process through a storytelling lens. By conducting an explorative case study, we investigated a long-term development project in the Swedish defense industry. The qualitative study is based upon ten in-depth interviews with technical experts occupying key positions in the investigated project (JAS39 Gripen E-series development). We followed a process study approach to investigate the dynamic attributes and effects of a changing dominant story on the sensemaking process of project sub-teams. We propose that the dual attributes of arising dominating narratives allow sub- collectives to "escape" the dangerous downward spiral of a collapsing sensemaking process, as they enable individuals with cause maps contradictory to an organization's dominant story to remain in action. The acceptance of temporal relaxed stability can therefore be seen as an important step in the creation of radical innovation.

Då färre forskning har riktats mot kollektiv sensemaking hos tvärfunktionella team, ämnar denna studie att kasta ytterligare ljus över den komplexitet som det innebär i situationer av samverkan. Således kommer djupare förståelse utvecklas för vilka aspekter som påverkar en kollektiv sensemaking. Detta är en kvalitativ studie med ett abduktivt förhållningssätt. Den empiriska datan samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyseras i narrativ form. Studien är av interpretivistisk prägel, det vill säga tolkande. Expertiser, Obefogad tillhörighet; Beröringspunkter; Egen förståelse; Kompromisser; Horisontell kommunikation; Kommunikationsforum; Tydligt syfte; Att veta ‘nog’ mycket, visade sig vara aspekter som kan påverka förmågan till kollektiv sensemaking. Samtliga aspekter ger upphov till behovet av mer anpassad sensegiving. / As less research has focused on collective sensemaking in cross-functional teams, this study aims to shed further light on the complexity that it entails insituations of collaboration. Therefore, a deeper understanding will be developed of the aspects that influence a collective sensemaking.' This is a qualitative study with an abductive approach. The empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed in narrative form. The study is of an interpretivist nature. Expertise; Unjustified belonging; Intersections; Own understandings; Compromise; Horizontal communication; Communication forum; Clear purpose; Knowing ‘enough’, turned out to be aspects that can affect the ability for collective sensemaking. All aspects give further need for a more adaptive sensegiving.

Les TPE sont des acteurs importants du dynamisme économique français. Chaque année, des milliers d’entre elles sont transmises. Ce phénomène n’est pas nouveau, mais l’évolution démographique des dirigeants de TPE françaises tend à en faire une préoccupation de premier plan pour les décideurs politiques et économiques. La majorité d’entre elles et, pour une part croissante, sont reprises par des repreneurs personnes physiques externes sans aucun lien avec l’entreprise. Le développement de ce type de transmission n’est pas sans poser de problèmes. La méconnaissance de l’entreprise, de son environnement par le repreneur accentue les difficultés déjà grandes de la reprise (Deschamps et Paturel, 2009). L’arrivée dans l’entreprise d’un repreneur externe est souvent vécue par les salariés comme une interruption, un changement organisationnel majeur pouvant mettre en péril la poursuite de l’activité. Le fait que l’entreprise soit saine au moment du rachat interfère sur la manière dont le changement est appréhendé par les salariés. Ce dernier pouvant être interprété comme une menace, la possibilité de perdre une situation antérieure jugée satisfaisante. Les spécificités caractérisant la TPE rendent l’événement particulièrement intense sur le plan émotionnel et relationnel. La présente étude s’attache à explorer l’entrée en fonction du repreneur, dernière étape du processus repreneurial, à travers les interactions entre acteurs. Basés sur une étude de cas multiples (10 cas analysés, 31 entretiens), les résultats mettent en évidence un processus dénommé reconstruction collective de sens post-reprise. Ils montrent également l’existence de plusieurs facteurs individuels, organisationnels et contextuels exerçant une influence notable sur le processus. / TPE are playing an important role in the French economic dynamism. Each year, thousands of them are transmitted. This phenomenon is not new, but the demographic evolution of French TPE leadership tends to create a major concern for political and economic decision makers. The majority of them and, for a growing share ours times by external individuals buyers with no connection to the company. The development of this type of transmission is not coming without its problems. Ignorance of the company, its environment by the buyer increases the already great difficulties of the recovery (Deschamps and Paturel, 2009). The arrival in the company of an external buyer is often experienced by employees as an interruption, a major organizational change that could jeopardize the continuation of the activity. The fact that the company is healthy at redemption interfere with the way the change is apprehended by the employees. This can be interpreted as a threat, the possibility of losing a satisfactory situation before. The specificities characterizing the TPE make the event particularly intense emotional and relational. This study aims to explore the inauguration of the buyer, the last step repreneurial process, through interaction between actors. Based on a multiple case study (10 cases analyzed, 31 interviews), the results show a process called collective reconstruction of post-recovery direction. They also show the existence of a number of individual, organizational and contextual factors with significant influence on the process.