Visualizing an iterative, dynamic model for improving leadership-employee communication in the organizational change process

Abstract

Change Management Literature addresses successful and unsuccessful change factors, but there is a conceptual gap that overlooks ways in which Leadership-Employee Communication can be operationalized. To deal with this concern, we address themes emerging from interviews focused on employees experiencing Change Management Implementation in Swiss organizations. We question whether the themes and guidelines can offer sound advice to leaders in organizations undergoing Change Management initiatives. We then explore the context in which change occurs, and discuss an approach to change using a designer/user metaphor from the technical communication field. These perspectives broaden Change Management to include production and reception of messages about change through a link to 1) sensemaking, 2) Change Management ethos and 3) cultural resources for action available in the organization. We use a series of visualizations to demonstrate the shift from the current Change Management Paradigm to a new paradigm that integrates enterprise and individual logics of change. The use of user-centered design principles offers Change Management the opportunity to broaden the basis for advising organizations going through change to include contextual analysis and action research addressing the interaction between change designers and change users at each step of the Change Management process.