Organizational Communication

A Research Study on Organizational Change

By: Glenda Cecil

Organizational Change

• Globalization just one factor among many, necessitating organizational change

• IBM reveals 60 percent rate of organizational

change failure (Hunt, 2008)

• Thesis- Communication channels

and organizational culture

Retrieved from http://blog.bpmcpa.com/

Motive and Past Research

• Research on the topic of organizational change is lacking (Lewis, 1999)

• Past research has established the following:

• Lewis (1999), informal channels are more often used

• Torppa and Smith (2001), positive outlook yields receptiveness to change

• Jian (2007), there are unintended consequences of change

Retrieved from http://www.brighthubpm.com/change-management/88725-tips-on-managing-the-organizational-change-curve/

Variables

• Variables include:

• Organizational Culture

• Employee Perceptions

• Communication Channels

Retrieved from http://www.learn.eaglesflight.com/blog/bid/133192/Perceptions-Rule

Retrieved from http://www.superoffice.com/blog/handling-customer-service-in-multiple-communication-channels-2/

Theory

• Pacanowsky and O’Donnell-Trujillo’s Organizational Culture Theory

• Culture not equal to race or ethnicity in this context

• However, employee attitudes, actions, and customs of the organization

• Provides a method of interpretation

Research Questions

• RQ1: Is successful change implementation dependent upon organizational culture moral and employee perceptions of change benefits and disadvantages

• RQ2: Do the behaviors of employees influence other employee’s support level of organizational change

• RQ3: Are employee’s perceptions of change implementation contingent upon the channels used to impart change messages

Participants & Method

• 20 teachers and teacher’s aides from a large school corporation in the Midwest

• Ages- 19 to 54 years

• Female- 18 (90%)

• Male- 2 (10%)

• Tenure- 2 months to 14 years

_________________________________________________________

• Questionnaires self-administered via email

• 20 distributed, 12 (60%) completed and returned

Measures• Questions measurable against 5-point Likert scale

• 1 being strongly disagree, 5 being strongly agree

• Scales used,

• Organizational Culture- Cooke & Lafferty’s (1989) Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) Scale

• Influence- Armenakis et al. (2007) Organizational Change Recipients’ Belief Scale (OCRBS)

• Communication Channels- W. Downs and Hazen (1977) Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)

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Data Analysis

• Questionnaires returned to assess variables

Organizational Culture

Influence

Communication Channels

Retrieved from http://ityphoon.org/?p=386

Retrieved fromhttp://www.trexglobal.com/property-management/real-estate-news/news/property-management-how-social-media-opens-communication-channels-for-real-estate-investors-landlords

http://www.technologyblogged.com/business-technology/five-communication-channels-every-business-needs

Results

Research Question 1- likely confirmed

Research Question 2- likely confirmed

Research Question 3- likely confirmed

Limitations

• Small sample size

Retrieved from http://www.bayesian-inference.com/samplesize

• Use of a subgroup

Retrieved from http://thoughtsonthirteenreasonswhy.wordpress.com/tag/cassette-5/

Conclusion

Retrieved from http://medcitynews.com/2012/07/healthcare-innovation-tech-transfer-patriotic-duties-for-universities/

It could…be up to you

References

Hunt, L. H. (2008). IBM Global Study: Majority of Organizational Change Projects Fail. Retrieved from

http://www 03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/25492.wss

Jian, G. (2007). Unpacking unintended consequences in planned organizational change: A process model. Management Communication

Quarterly, 21(1), 5-28. doi: 10.1177/0893318907301986

Lewis, L. K. (1999). Disseminating information and soliciting input during planned organizational change: Implementers' targets, sources,

and channels for communicating. Management Communication Quarterly : McQ, 13(1), 43-75. doi: 10.1177/0893318999131002

Torppa, C. B., & Smith, K. L. (2011). Organizational change management: A test of the effectiveness of a communication plan.

Communication Research Reports, 28(1), 62-73. doi: 10.1080/08824096.2011.541364

Armenakis, A., Bernerth, J. B., Pitts, J. P., & Walker, H. J. (2007). Organizational change recipients’ beliefs scale: Development of an

instrument. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 43, 481–505. doi: 10.1177/0021886307303654

Cooke, R. A., Szumal, J. L. (1993). Measuring normative beliefs and shared behavioral expectations in organizations: The reliability and

validity of the organizational culture inventory. Psychological Reports, 72, Issue, pp. 1299-1330. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1993.72.3c.1299

Downs, C. W., & Hazen, M. D. (1977). A factor analytic study of communication satisfaction. Journal Of Business Communication, 14(3),

63-73. Retrieved from http://job.sagepub.com/