Arts , Humanities & Social Science

Abstract

This research essay reconceptualizes a practitioner-oriented story about organizational change by framing it within established social-scientific theories and translating analytically grounded mechanisms into insights for practice. At its core, this essay presents the findings from a design-based case study that employed nexus analysis and other interventionist research methodologies. Findings supported the notion that mindset change is a necessary precursor to behavioral and organizational transformation. Drawing on cognitive and social psychology, this perspective underscores that openness to new information, evidence, and reframing is the cognitive gateway to altering behavior at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

The discussion links mindset to organizational sensemaking, where data gains meaning through socially constructed narratives. Coordinated sensemaking aligns mental models across organizational units, forming the basis for informed decision-making and shared action. Communication serves as the social mechanism through which evidence is transformed into collective meaning, having evolved from simple transmission to interpretation and into shared understanding. The narratives presented during the facilitated nexus events (cross-disciplinary, facilitated meetings to formalize deep understanding and integration, where data were collected for analysis) were designed to interpret data shaped by interdiscursive processes.

Managers are pivotal actors in the roles of sensemaker, boundary spanner, and message translator. Their mindset determines how they interpret data, anticipate consequences, and enact changes in alignment with strategic intent. Booz Allen Hamilton (2105) reports that many data projects fail due to a lack of imagination for something new and different.

Findings support the value of applying Schwarz's (2017) mutual learning model as a practical tool that connects evidence, mindset, and behavior. Its eight defined practices provide a procedural guide for developing a shared mindset and fostering a collective sense of understanding. This communication approach helped coordinate data with commitment. This applied research demonstrates the effectiveness of mutual learning towards improving decision quality, collaboration, and behavioral alignment, supporting Young (2021) and Bushe-Marshak Institute (2018).

The findings suggest that the successful implementation of evidence-based practices for data literacy requires alignment within the nexus of empirical evidence, mindset, and dialogic communication. It calls on both practitioners and scholars to explore mechanisms such as the use of triangulated data, manager engagement, and mutual learning dialogues as key strategies for effective and sustainable change.