Schema-based sensemaking of the decision to participate and its effects on job performance

This paper develops and tests an iterative framework based on a situated cognition perspective for uncovering cognitive schemas that people activate during sensemaking processes. The research investigates the cognitive schemas of 167 employees joining a call center, using a laddering methodology based on the means-end analysis and consisting of elicitation of interpretations and the justifications for those interpretations. A cognitive cause map is also derived. Finally, the study demonstrates how cognitive schemas that arise during sensemaking efficaciously explain job performance.