Organizational Change: Considering Truth and Buy-In

Abstract

Organizational change initiatives are often undertaken to update major business structural components or practices to meet the evolving needs of a changing industry. Unfortunately, explicit emphasis on the importance of truth and buy-in is missing from most, if not all, change initiatives. Including these factors is essential because the acceptance of explanations (truth) for change, resulting in stakeholder buy-in and commitment to change, may be among the most significant challenges to organizational change success. Indeed, the absence of leadership-conveyed truth-telling, and stakeholder truth acceptance, restrains the ability to grow, change, develop and evolve as an organization. Thus, insufficient truth acceptance and buy-in results in deficient stakeholder engagement and a decreased likelihood of organizational change initiative success. Moreover, the benefits of truth acceptance and buy-in stretch well beyond organizational change initiatives and positively influence work performance, commitment, satisfaction, and turnover. Therefore, the concepts of truth and buy-in are multi- and inter-organizational and essential at all levels of an organization. The purpose of this communication is to consider the general role(s) of truth and buy-in in the organizational change process and to serve as a reminder of the importance of explicitly including and achieving both early in the change initiative process.

Keystone theories of postcrisis discourse: Communication Theory of Resilience and Discourse of Renewal

“…Systems of oppression, for example, are often characterized by very high levels of resilience and effectively resist change. While transformative change is not always the most appropriate response to a crisis, investigations of organizational change have shown that resistance, aversion, inertia and commitment to the status quo are significant impediments (Hubbart, 2023). Moreover, communication process are generally recognized as important factors in successfully change management (Daly et al, 2003).…”

Translating the complexity of disaster resilience with local leaders

“…This is critical to enhancing transparency in decision-making, as resilience -building can come with difficult trade-offs-real and perceived-where there are necessarily winners and losers (Zobel, 2011;Adapting to Rising Tides Program, 2015;Chelleri et al, 2015;Sampson et al, 2019). Using consistent and trusted communications is key to enhancing understanding of and buy-in to emerging data, assessments and tools, which can then facilitate the application of science (Pielke et al, 2010;Villiers and Molinari, 2022;Hubbart, 2023). As well, information overload can lead to decision paralysis (Bawden and Robinson, 2020;Misra et al, 2020), while important federal and state rules and regulations with respect to resilience building can change, sometimes in obscure ways.…”

Organizational Change: The Challenge of Change Aversion

“…Many works in the literature address the challenges of organizational change (Hubbart 2023;Kotter and Schlesinger 1979;Kotter 2007;Manning 2012;Stobierski 2020;Todnem 2005) and the difficulty of accepting change or change resistance (Hubbart 2023;Moon 2009;Shtivelband and Rosecrance 2010;Stokke 2014). However, relatively few sources address the challenge of change aversion amidst organizational change initiatives (Aldosari et al 2015;Levine and Cohen 2018;van Dijk and van Dick 2009).…”

“…Modernization must occur to align and remain contemporary with the evolving demands of a dynamic industry. Hubbart (2023) defined organizational change as "a process in which an organization alters minor to major structural components to address operational costs, productivity, and service quality deficiencies, identify new growth opportunities, or achieve other organizational goals". Ultimately, organizational change initiatives are common and essential pivotal moments enabling businesses to adjust and maintain their competitiveness within a dynamic, flexible, and continuously evolving environment.…”

“…Ultimately, organizational change initiatives are common and essential pivotal moments enabling businesses to adjust and maintain their competitiveness within a dynamic, flexible, and continuously evolving environment. Organizational change processes have been studied for decades (Hubbart 2023;Jabri and Jabri 2022;Kolbergyt ė and Dromantait ė 2022;Manning 2012;Rieg et al 2021;Tichy 1983;Todnem 2005;Vlachopoulos 2021), and many tools exist to assist in deliberate approaches to yield optimal outcomes (Kearney and Hyle 2006;Kotter 2012;Peters and Waterman 2011;Sarayreh et al 2013;Tang 2019). However, challenges will always exist because there can be a great deal of organizational variability, including employee resistance (aversion), during these moments.…”