Addressing Uncertainty during Workplace Change: Communication and Sense-Making

Authors

Richard Parsells

Abstract

Change is a commonplace occurrence in today’s organizations. In order to survive in an extremely competitive marketplace, organizations and their employees undergo change frequently. The ability to manage change and to learn from this experience is now viewed as a key competency for sustainable competitiveness in most business markets. However, while change management processes are employed and followed, a high percentage of change efforts are judged to be unsuccessful by upper management. Moreover, a number of scholars suggest that communication strategies during organizational change are an important element to the success of a change initiative, yet such strategies are not given primacy in the research literature. This suggests the need to further investigate communication factors which aid in the successful implementation of change in the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to add to the discourse on communication and workplace change initiatives by reporting on a research project that explored communication actions which were employed and viewed as useful by those experiencing a change in the workplace. This paper will present the findings that emanated from the study and explore their meaning in relation to selected scholarly literature on communication and change. Suggested implications for practice and future research are also explored.

Recommended Citation

Parsells, Richard (2013) "Addressing Uncertainty during Workplace Change: Communication and Sense-Making," Administrative Issues Journal: Vol. 3: Iss. 3, Article 12.
Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/aij/vol3/iss3/12