Dissertation Wiki

I created a wiki to present my dissertation research and to provide updates to the topics of organizational change and mental models. From the Introduction to the Study:

The purpose of this study was to explore a possible link between various methods to communicate a change vision and the ability to create an alignment among the members of the organization. Organizational researchers stress the importance of communication in persuading people to support the change vision and to align their efforts with that vision. The literature is replete with many prescriptive theories that researchers rely on to tell change leaders how to effectively communicate the change vision. What is missing is a body of research that provides empirical evidence for this consensus on the links between an effective change vision, communication, and alignment. In this study, the researcher explored the possible link between these three concepts in the change process by using mental model interviews and message design logic content analysis.

A secondary purpose of this study was to provide an experimental method to measure how effectively the change vision was communicated to the target audience. The lack of empirical evidence in the literature leads to the question of how effective the chosen communication methods are. This study used mental model interviews and content analysis software to provide a qualitative measure for the effectiveness of the communication of the change vision by the change leader. The premise is that the closer the fit of the target audiences' mental models are to the change vision the more likely the change vision will be supported and effectively implemented. This is not to imply that there is an immediate acceptance of an accurately communicated change vision. It is possible that a person who accurately understands the change vision can still reject it while an inaccurate understanding may lead to an unwarranted acceptance. However, having an experimental means to measure the effectiveness of the change vision communication can aid in further research on alignment and the change vision.

You can download copy of the dissertation from the wiki.