Framing Vision: An Examination of Framing, Sensegiving, and Sensemaking During a Change Initiative

The purpose of this short article is to review the findings from an instrumental case study that examines how a college president used what this article refers to as "frame alignment processes" to mobilize internal and external support for a college initiative-one that achieved success under the current president. Specifically, I explored the social construction processes by which understanding of change come about, focusing on the use of "frames" as the central mechanism through which a leader's vision is transformed into meaning and action. This article draws on the sociological definitions of framing, as well as recent research on the use of framing methods and alignment processes. An analysis of qualitative data obtained via an interview with one college president reveals that there are at least three types of frames-or framing methods-that can be employed by college leaders to mobilize the support of stakeholders. This study builds on previous studies that examined how leaders on college campuses communicate their visions for change, and supports the notion that leaders can strategically manage their messages to their stakeholders.