What roles play human and non-human agents in ecological sensemaking? An ethnography of sensemaking during an offshore race

Lambotte, François
(2020) 36th EGOS Colloquium: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance — Location: Hambourg, Germany

Files

St05_Lambotte_Strategizingduringanoffshorerace-Flambotte.pdf
  • Open Access
  • Adobe PDF
  • 2.08 MB
Download

Details

Authors
Abstract
Because of the increased importance of IS on board of racing yachts, we would like to question the role of non-human agents in ecological sensemaking practices.Indeed, central to Whiteman and Cooper study of ecological sensemaking is the concept of ecological embeddedness: “An actor is said to be ecologically embedded within an ecosystem when he or she understands the local peculiarities and interactive effects - of terrain, climate, seasons, vegetations, and animals - and the impact of disturbances such as fire or an insect outbreak” (Whiteman & Cooper, 2011 p.892). They posit that “ecological embeddedness may enable ecological sensemaking for a variety of reasons: it may enhance the relevance of prior enacted environments, increase the opportunities for actors to bracket and interpret local topography and ecological processes over time (and thus expand their repertoire of skills) and facilitate learning through trial and error” (Whiteman & Cooper, 2011 p.892). Although previous research has shown the role of technology and materiality in sensemaking (more on this later), we would like to analyze how and what mediating roles information systems (IS) – as non-human agents (Brummans, 2007) – can play on the ecological embeddedness and as a consequence on the sensemaking of ecological cues especially in complex and volatile environments.
Affiliations

Citations

  • APA
  • Chicago
  • FWB

Lambotte, F. (2020). What roles play human and non-human agents in ecological sensemaking? An ethnography of sensemaking during an offshore race. 36th EGOS Colloquium: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance, Hambourg, Germany.