An Organizational Stakeholder Model of Change Implementation Communication

Despite a growing interest in the communicative dimensions of planned change processes in organizations, a comprehensive theoretical treatment of change implementation communication has not yet emerged in the literature. This essay offers a beginning remedy by presenting a model situated within stakeholder theory. The model connects implementers’ selection of communication strategies, stakeholders’ concerns, assessments, and interactions with 3 critical features of the observable system after implementation has begun (fidelity, uniformity, and authenticity). Model linkages are supported by current and recent scholarship in communication and change, and propositions and hypotheses are generated to provide heuristic value.

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