AN EVALUATION OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES DURING THE PROCESS OF INCORPORATING A COLLEGE OF HEALTH STUDIES INTO A UNIVERSITY

This paper reports on an evaluation of communication strategies employ ed by management during the incorporation of a college of health care studies as a new faculty of a university. Mindful of the stress and an xiety that organizational change can evoke, from the earliest stages o f the projected incorporation senior managers at the college and the u niversity employed a wide variety of methods to communicate to staff i n the college the changes that were in progress and at the same time t o set up mechanisms for evaluating the effectiveness of the communicat ion. The method of inquiry was a questionnaire to all the staff of the college in March and June of the year preceding incorporation. This w as supported by interviews with a 10% sample of the college to explore in greater depth issues identified in the questionnaires. The finding s indicated that in general communication had been perceived as effect ive; and that of the various methods used the two most valued by staff were: (a) a regular newsletter; and (b) an advisory and consultative committee of staff drawn from all areas of the work of the college up to and including senior lecturer.