Media Selection During The Implementation Of Planned Organizational Change

Abstract

Although communication issues are central to processes of organizational change, a surprisingly small body of literature focuses on the use of communication media during the implementation process. This article integrates literature that addresses implementation approaches and phases with media selection research to provide a descriptive framework for understanding and predicting media use during planned change implementation. Propositions derived from conceptualizations of change approaches, phases of change, and the interactions between these constructs identify the media that are likely to be used by implementers throughout the implementation process. Further propositions suggest that the media used by implementers may recursively lead to reinforcement or modification of an implementation approach and may signal the development of a change across implementation phases. The article concludes by synthesizing the findings that emerge from the integration of these bodies of literature and describing implications for research and practice.