Meaning to change: how diverse stakeholders interpret organizational communication about change initiatives

This paper explores the problems that occur in implementing a major organizational change initiative where various employee groups have different interpretations of the purpose of the initiative and tactics intended to achieve it. In this paper, the author employs two concepts: technology frames and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on professional communication 2001-12, Vol.44 (4), p.243-266
Main Author: Gallivan, M.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applications (e.g. Digitizing,...)
Business process re-engineering
Communication
Content analysis
Electronic commerce
Exact sciences and technology
Frames
Globalization
Information and communication sciences
Information and communication technologies
Information and document structure and analysis
Information processing and retrieval
Information science. Documentation
Information technologies: storage media, equipment
Initiatives
Management consultants
Management information systems
Organizational change
Professional communication
Project management
Sabotage
Sciences and techniques of general use
Scientific and technological watch. Knowledge management
Speech
Studies
Tactics
Technology
Technology management
Total quality management
Writing
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Summary:This paper explores the problems that occur in implementing a major organizational change initiative where various employee groups have different interpretations of the purpose of the initiative and tactics intended to achieve it. In this paper, the author employs two concepts: technology frames and the order of change magnitude surrounding technology change. By understanding the meanings that various stakeholder groups attach to the same communications about the change initiative, we may better understand the characteristic ways in which they interpret both the objectives of the change initiative and how it can be implemented. By using these concepts to explain various stakeholders' conflicting interpretations of the information that they have received about the change initiative, this paper shows how they perceive differently what events constitute progress toward achieving the initiative's objectives.
ISSN:0361-1434
1558-1500
DOI:10.1109/47.968107