Making sense of organizational change: the role of communication

Inger Stensaker, NHHEUPRIO conferenceJune 14, 2008

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Organizational change

•Large-scale planned change occurs more frequently

•Demands flexible processes and people•More chaos, uncertainty and ambiguouity in many organizations

What is the role of communication in the context of frequent large-scale change?

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Triggers of change

•External triggers– Economic & political developments– Globalization– Technological development– Changes in the competitive arena– Crisis and shocks

•Internal triggers– Poor results– Trends– Change

In higher education:

• The Bologna process• Increasing focus on visible measures• Structural changes

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Example og change triggering more change:Strategic responses to the Norw. Quality Reform

3 strategic positions

Research focus

Teaching focus

Geographicalfocus

Geographicalexpansion

Large & traditionaluniversities

Medium-sized university colleges

Small & rural university colleges

Internation-alization

Attainuniversitystatus

Niche

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Many organizations pursue a multitude of changes

TIME

New changes are introduced before previous changes are completed

Many changes take place at the same time

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Change probable

Change improbable

There seems to be a tendency that people choose to bend over thinking that it will soon pass…

After a while you do not give a damn. I used to be involved, but nothing came out of it…The third time, I told them that I don’t want to take part anymore.

In this process a number of highly qualified employees leave and find work elsewhere. Often it is the best people who choose to

leave.

We continue our work as we used to and make fun of it (the change program)

The manager has not had time to take care of the group at all. We have more or less found the way ourselves.

…We have called a meeting with our superiors…

It gets messy, frustrating and too much to cope with. In the end your body doesn’t function..and you just float along…

Our work load has increased as a result of these (changes). It gets harder to stay motivated.

People worked more and more and as time went by I could no longer abide by the labor laws.

SABOTAGE

EXIT

BOHICA

TAKE SELF-CONTORL

LOYALTY

PARALYSIS

Reactions to multiple changes Active coping mechanisms

Passive coping mechanisms Stensaker, Meyer,

Falkenberg, Haueng (2002)

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Key challenge during change

Ensuring a shared understanding of • WHAT to change• WHY do we need to change• HOW to change

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What you see depends on where you sit

Top manager: change agentMakes strategic decisions

Middle manager: Change recipient and agentImplements change (or not)

Employees: change recipient Implement change (or not)

The quality

reform is about high

quality teaching

& research

The quantity reform is

about more teaching and

counting

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Sensemaking perspectives on change

•Surprise & confusion trigger sensemaking– We try to understand what is going on by producing

”accounts”

• Featurs of sensemaking – Retrospective – Cognitive process– Social process

•Middle managers & employees are often left to make sense on their own

– Searching for cues – any old map will do– Top managers as ”ghosts”– Employees only see the backs of their superiors

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SM processes lead to convergent AND divergent activities

• Convergent response• Divergent response• Unresolved sensemaking• Creative response• Non-compliance

Facilitating and supporting sensemaking is essential during change

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Sensegiving

An interpretive process through which actors influence each others sensemaking through persuasion or evocative language.

•Used by:– Organizational leaders– Other stakeholders, such as middle mgrs & employees

•Sensegiving is enabled by:– Duscursive ability: expertise & legitimacy– Opportunity; routines, practices, structures

•Leaders will not engage in SG if– They perceive the changes as outside of their area of expertise– The changes affect less important parts of the organization

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Sensegiving opportunities

•Information meetings•Use of experts•External communication•Documents, analyses and reports

•Meetings, work group, task force

•Participation in decision making & process planning

•Everyday activities– Informal talks & meetings– Role modelling

What we have spent years on analyzing and

understanding, we expect our employees to

grasp during a few months.

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The role of sensegiving & communication is to increase change capacity

How managers mobilize for

change

Employees reactions to

change

Change capabilities

Operational capabilites

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Organizations with extensive change-experience face other challenges

•Reactions– Less emotional, but also less enthusiastic– Change fatigue and*/or change capable

•Balance between change and daily operations•Loyalty issues•Implications for change mgmt & sensegiving

– Focus on protect and stimulate– Do not overload with information– Trust in process, don’t need vision– Trust in information, don’t need as extensive involvement

Requires different approaches to sensegiving

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Conclusions•Large-scale organizational

change brings uncertainty & ambiguity

•People at all levels in the organization try to make sense of what is going on and what the future will bring

•Sensegiving occurs downward and upward and sideways

SENSEGIVING PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN DEVELOPING CHANGE CAPACITY

•Change novice: think multiple channels & active involvement!

•Change experienced: avoid overload & think protect!