Effect of communication strategy in change management at Unilever Kenya limited

Abstract

To remain competitive, organizations must be able to quickly respond to change. Change is a constant feature of organizational life and the ability to manage it is seen as a core competence of successful organizations. Change management is the adapting and defining of corporate strategies, structures, procedures and technologies to deal with changes from external and internal conditions. Differentiated communication tactics during different phases of organizational change can have an important impact on the level of acceptance of that change by organizational participants. As organizations face changing operating environments, they need to respond or change accordingly. For this change to be efficient organization needs to communicate effectively; and for communication to be effective, the message, the communication channel and even the timing must be carefully and purposefully selected.Change is said to be successful when the set objectives is achieved as set and with minimal resistance. An Organization only communicates effectively when its messages are clear and reasons for the message convincing. The study aimed at establishing the effect of communication strategy on change management at Unilever. Chapter one covers the background of the study, concepts of change and communication strategy, the FMCG industry in Kenya and a profile of Unilever Kenya Limited. It also highlights the research problem, the value and justification of the study. The second chapter reviews existing literature on change and communication strategy. The focus was mainly on the process, theories and models of communication and change. Research design was a case study with primary data being collected through an in-depth interview guide. Research design including methodology is discussed in Chapter three. Research findings are discussed in Chapter four while chapter five explains the, recommendations and conclusions. The study observed that communication plays a significant role in change management in Unilever including quick acceptance and reduced resistance. The researcher gave recommendations based on findings, highlighted the limitations of the study and also proposed further research to add on to the literature and build on to the theories. A major management lesson from this research is that for an organization to successfully implement change there must be planned clear and consistent communication.