Kommunikation vid förändringsarbete. Hur kommunikation kring implementering av en statlig reform påverkat de anställdas benägenhet att acceptera förändring

Abstract

It is important for organizations to be able to adapt to change. By implementing new changes they are able to stay relevant and prosper. A critical factor when doing this is the ability to accurately communicate change to the employees. By doing so the trust towards the administration increases, resulting in a positive effect on employees’ tendency to accept change. This paper seeks to examine how communication and trust affects the members of an organisation and their willingness to accept change. By looking at how the communication around the state reform ”Lärarlönelyftet” was perceived by teachers at a high school in a city in Skåne County, the authors hope to contribute to the research about communication, trust and their impact on members tendency to accept change. Interviews with teachers, principals and the teachers union was carried out to fully understand the reform and the communication around it. The teachers thought the communication was vague and inconsistent. A lot of them wished for more transparency surrounding the processes. Several teachers who weren’t chosen to take part in the reform reported an initial decrease regarding their trust towards the school administration. The paper concludes that many teachers had adapted a sceptic and discouraged attitude when being presented to new reforms. Given how ”Lärarlönelyftet” was handled and communicated not many teachers felt more willingness to accept change. Nevertheless did this not just depend on ”Lärarlönelyftet”. A considerable amount of teachers said their sceptic and discouraged attitude towards organizational change was a consequence of many state reforms being implemented without any substantial positive outcomes. The authors stresses the importance of using coherent information and transparent processes in organisations to improve the level of trust between employees and administrations. This is a good way to build a steady foundation with dedicated members who are more receptive to accept organizational changes.