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Hoosier Whiteness and the Indiana Pacers: racialized strategic change and the politics of organizational sensemaking

This essay seeks to examine the process of organizational change from a new perspective – placing ‘race’ at the forefront of analysis. By resituating organizational sensemaking theory underneath the umbrella of critical race theory, this paper begins to explore how the National Basketball Association Indiana Pacers constructed a racialized strategic change initiative centred on (re)gaining fan support. Recognizing that its disgruntled fanbase had become disillusioned with perceived ‘athlete misbehaviours’, the Pacers' organization began to incorporate the fans' sensemaking process (i.e. ‘Hoosier Whiteness’) as its own. As such, specific attention is focused on understanding the historical, socio-political, and cultural importance of ‘Hoosier Whiteness’ – particularly as it signifies a racialized meaning within Indiana's basketball landscape. With consideration for these factors, this essay then moves on to problematizing the symbolic actions performed by the Indiana Pacers as they sought to rearticulate and reclaim ‘Hoosier Whiteness’ by developing a criminalized (Black) past and safe (White) future.