The BOHICA syndrome: a symptom of cynicism towards change initiatives?

Abstract

Abstract This paper reports on three case studies that centre on the relationship between organizational change, employee cynicism, the psychological contract and the sustainability of change initiatives. The findings suggest that when employees fail to perceive a rationale for change, their psychological contracts become reformulated in such a way that they become cynical about further organizational change proposals. Without appropriate and targeted interventions, this phenomenon, which is described in this paper as the ‘BOHICA syndrome’, may cause employee preparedness to consider new change proposals to be significantly reduced. The paper presents the lessons learned from three change management experiences and identifies the importance of demonstrating the credibility and logic of managerial action and allowing for incremental change wherever possible in addressing the problem. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.