Expressions of Mindfulness After Crisis: The Case of Public Service Organizations and Social Media Analytics

The transition from crisis periods to a new normal while critical is often an overlooked phase in crisis management, raising questions about the definition of normalcy and the attainment of resilience. This is particularly relevant because processes supported by information systems are expected to adapt, learn and be flexible enough to withstand change under crisis conditions. In the current environment of uncertainty and instability characterized by unpredictability of events and compound crises, constructs of mindfulness from an organizational perspective could contribute to continuity. Following an abductive approach to data analysis, this concern is addressed through the analysis of processes in diverse public service organizations that rely on social media analytics to support continuity of services to their communities. Our findings suggest that expressions of mindfulness emerge at individual or collective levels through internal and external relationships. These relationships lead to the internalization, escape, pollination and collaboration of the impacts of these expressions. The novelty of this article is the emergence of mindfulness in processes of use of IT when organizations may not be fully aware of such performance. This article contributes to the understanding and future study of mindfulness as a precondition for learning and change under conditions of uncertainty.