Persuasive speech in multi-professional change facilitation meetings

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Communication
• Rhetorical Discourse Analysis

Background:

• Organizational change research often overlooks frontline staff involvement.
• This study challenges the traditional managerial view of change implementation.
• It emphasizes the value of involving those most familiar with task-specific changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe persuasive speech and discourses in multi-professional organizational change facilitation meetings.
• To analyze these dynamics within a hospital setting using rhetorical discourse analysis.
• To explore how frontline staff perspectives can inform organizational change.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case study approach.
• Analysis of eight video-recorded multi-professional change facilitation meetings (Jan-Sep 2017).
• Rhetorical discourse analysis applied to meetings involving physicians, nursing staff, managers, and a hospitalist.

Main Results:

• Five distinct persuasive discourses were identified: constructing change collaboratively, positive feedback, strategic communication, patient-centeredness, and driving change.
• These discourses highlight relevant topics for persuading healthcare professionals to adopt planned changes.
• The findings reveal specific communication strategies used in organizational change.

Conclusions:

• The research offers novel insights into the application of persuasive speech in organizational change within healthcare.
• It details the specific discourses where persuasive communication is employed.
• This study underscores the importance of understanding communication dynamics for effective change facilitation.