Why do so many organisational change programmes fail, even when communication plans appear well designed? The answer, I believe, lies in a factor that is often underestimated in both research and practice: culture. Across Africa, organisations are embracing digital transformation, restructuring, policy reforms and new ways of working.
Yet employee resistance remains one of the greatest barriers to successful change. In many cases, the problem is not that organisations fail to communicate. Rather, they fail to communicate in ways that reflect the cultural realities of their employees.
This observation inspired the development of the Accra Framework for Internal Communication and Change Management, presented in my forthcoming book, Communicating Change in Africa. The framework begins with a simple proposition: effective internal communication should start with culture. Employees do not interpret organisational messages as isolated individuals.
They interpret them through their beliefs, organisational experiences, family responsibilities, respect for authority, religious values and communal relationships. These factors influence whether they trust leaders, accept change or resist it. For this reason, internal communication cannot simply focus on transmitting information.
It must also help employees make sense of change within their own cultural context. The Accra Framework therefore encourages leaders to ask different questions before launching change initiatives. What cultural values will shape employees’ understanding of this change?
Who are the trusted voices within the organisation? Which organisational traditions should be acknowledged rather than ignored? How can internal communication build trust before asking employees to change?
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