Sensemaking and Creativity at Work When Employees are Coping with Traumatic Life Experiences: Implications for Positive Organizational Change

Abstract

Traumatic life experiences occur when individuals experience life-threatening or other similarly dis-stressful events in life. Much literature discussed the negative implications of traumatic life experiences. I argue, in contrast, that individuals can also demonstrate resilience toward traumatic life experiences by performing creatively at work in some situations. Drawing from positive organizational scholarship and a sensemaking perspective, I propose a conceptual model to examine the processes and conditions that help employees engage in work creativity activities while they are coping with traumatic incidents in another aspect of life. Importantly, I contend that this engagement can enable employees to bring creative insight to work, develop a resilient self-concept, and shape the future organizational discourse on trauma and resilience. The proposed model contributes to a better understanding of employees’ work creativity as a constructive response to traumatic experiences and provides directions for positive organizational changes that support these responses.