Neo-institutional theory has recently advanced our understanding of the early phase of institutional change but presupposes contexts in which verbally and nonverbally expressing the intended institutional change within a group is already possible. We develop a process model that explains how change agents conceal and reveal their intentional work on institutional change over time to avoid painful sanctions and counteractions. The model describes how change agents proceed from the first moment of forming the intention to promote institutional change until change is sedimented through diffused taken-for-granted behavior. It advances the understanding of how individual and collective actors communicatively influence the macro-pathways of institutional change. The model offers new insights into the very first moments of institutional change processes, the ability to change institutions, the role of ambiguity in change processes, and how change agents slowly and fundamentally change institutions.
Organisational renewal and change often include the experience of a dichotomy between talk and action, leading to increasing skepticism about organisational change initiatives. Our action research is based on a single case study and explores how the divide between talk and action can be overcome to manage change. The study reveals an often-neglected aspect of organisational communication; in addition to utterance and information, successful communication requires understanding to find the missing link between talk and action, as well as creating impact in change processes. The article shows how an intervention can be built on communicative understanding, putting the Luhmannian approach into practice: introducing regular organisation-wide feedback on a change initiative through reflection workshops helped foster understanding of change initiatives and supported bridging the gap between talk and action.
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