Burson-Marsteller

Innovation & Insights

Change Communications Survey

85% of companies have undergone at least one major strategic change in the past five years. In addition, more than half of respondents (51%) said they expected more changes over the next two years.

The top three changes expected in 2011 and 2012 are:

1. Organisational restructuring, predicted by 27% of companies, which would occur regardless of whether previous restructurings had already taken place
2. New strategic direction driven by the organisation, predicted by 22%
3. Downsizing, predicted in almost one in five companies

The survey was conducted between May and July 2011 by Penn Schoen & Berland Associates for Burson-Marsteller. More than 480 European Human Resources and Change Communications decision makers at leading multinational companies have been interviewed in 10 European markets including UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

The study shows that despite the high volume of changes that have already taken place within companies, only 23% of in-house change management professionals feel confident in their ability to manage the process. Even fewer (18%) feel that the goals and scope of change are effectively communicated throughout the business. One reason cited is that most companies are not good at communicating internally, or at engaging employees, on a day-to-day basis – making it even more difficult to do so during times of change. In addition, while 65% of decision makers said that having a change management plan in place was important to their companies – only half actually had one. Companies are also more likely to prepare plans for changes that they initiate, rather than for changes that may be driven by outside factors but which can still significantly impact their organisation.

Click here for the Study