A TALE OF 2 CORPORATIONS - MANAGING UNCERTAINTY DURING ORGANIZATIONAL-CHANGE

Ineffective strategies of communicating about organizational change (e .g., corporate restructuring, mergers, downsizing) are earmarked by th e presence of pervasive rumors that flourish in a climate of uncertain ty. Using 15 structured field interviews with management and public re lations personnel from multinational corporations, this article posits that successful programs of change communication hinge upon the prope r management of uncertainty associated with change. Two detailed case st-tidies are highlighted as opposing illustrations of change communic ation tactics that succeeded and failed. Effective change communicatio n campaigns tend to reveal rather than conceal, reduce uncertainty thr ough collective planning, and proactively establish and maintain trust .(1).