Social notions as socio-cognitive structures in contemporary organizational management and action from an interpretive governance perspective

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of social notions as sociocognitive structures that shape organizational action and governance processes in contexts of high complexity. It argues that management decisions are mediated by interpretive frameworks that influence problem definition, opportunity identification, legitimacy construction, and risk perception. These matrices of meaning operate as structuring devices that guide the behavior of individuals and institutions, conditioning their adaptive capacity in uncertain, dynamic, and culturally heterogeneous environments. Drawing on contributions from sociocognitive constructivism, social representations, and collective action theory, the article contends that governance should be understood not as a strictly technical exercise, but as a hermeneutic process in which rationalities, symbols, and social expectations interact. Integrating these dimensions helps explain variations in policy adoption, organizational resilience, and the effectiveness of contemporary management strategies.