Case Study Report on Communicating Change

Executive summary This report analysis the strategy used by Television New Zealand (TVNZ) for managing and communicating its massive unplanned change of direction and employee layoff relating to Horizon Pacific Television Network. Research for this report included review of several communication literatures via UniSA e reader and web pages. The report finds that communication strategies used such as face-to-face communication channel, human resources assistance, withhold and uphold strategy positively impacted while the communication timing, bypassing line hierarchy directionality negatively impacted. It concludes that communicating change was not very successful due to some unsuitable communication strategies implemented. It is recommended that (1) Management should consider right message timing; (2) Company also should use more than one strategy (Crossman 2011, p. 399), for example, combine withhold and uphold with underscore and explore strategy; (3) An effective communication before and during the change and staff reduction (lay-off , downsizing) process is also necessary; (4) Should give authority and encourage stakeholders to participate in the change process such as evaluation and implementation (Lewis et al. 2006).

1. Introduction Communication strategy plays a crucial role for communicating change effectively. Specifically, it is important for recognising the necessity for change, reduce uncertainty, etc (Hayes 2010). It reflects staff’s behaviours, morale, change acceptance. This report was to analyse the strategy used by Television New Zealand (TVNZ) for managing and communicating its change of direction and layoff in the event of axing Horizon Pacific Television Network and layoff one hundred and twenty staffs. Communication process and strategy TVNZ used such as communication channel, message timing, communication directionality, withhold and uphold strategy, human resource assistance and impact on the worker was being discussed to