Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti

Theoretical background
organizational change has been accused of depicting organizational
members merely as resisting change (Woodward & Hendry, 2004), and
treating human resources as passive recipients of the top management’s
“empowerment” efforts (Willcocks et al., 1997). More recent studies
acknowledge how successful large-scale change requires fundamental shifts
in the ways how organizational members think and act (Woodward &
Hendry, 2004).
Employee participation is increasingly described as a key mechanism in
encouraging a welcoming approach to change (Buchanan & Huczynski,
1997; Lines, 2004; Russ, 2008). As Gill (2003: 314) describes, “change is
exciting for those who do it and threatening for those to whom it is done”.
Different methods for participation entail different levels of involvement.
Related to the early stage of change, attendance in change-related
workshops is a common method (Greenly & Carnall, 2001). Organizational
members are reported to more likely assume ownership of a change
program when they can have input in the planning process (Mallinger,
1993). Other forms of participation include discussion forums, task forces,
focus groups, brainstorming sessions, opinion surveys, and feedback
systems (Russ, 2008). Regardless of the method, participation in change is
seldom a one-time activity. For example, Gioia and Chittipeddi (1991)
describe how change initiation may involve iterative negotiation processes
that consist of several rounds of sensemaking and sensegiving.
Although contemporary change management models typically promote
wide-scale participation, Dunphy and Stace (1993) note that participative
approaches may not always be as participative as they seem. Also, Smeltzer
and Zener (1993) argue that some change agendas are by nature top-down
and directive, including massive lay-off programs, urgent turnarounds and
major restructurings. Dunphy and Stace (1993) similarly propose that the
participative approach to change is not suitable in all situations, but
sometimes more dictatorial transformation techniques may be in place.
Many studies of organizational change suggest a high degree of
communication. Communication during a change effort has many
purposes. It is used to share information, clarify the objectives, obtain
commitment, and reduce uncertainty, anxiety and resistance (Allen,
Jimmieson, Bordia, & Irmer, 2007; Goodman & Truss, 2004; Russ, 2008).
Besides the content, also the process of communication is important,
concerning the timing of the messages, the use of appropriate media, and
tailoring communication to the recipient profiles (Goodman & Truss,
2004). In addition to the participative communication activities described
above, typical communication methods of change include newsletters,
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