Date of Conferral

11-24-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Lisa Barrow

Abstract

Organizational leaders’ failure to adopt effective change communication strategies in schools exacerbates teacher and staff shortages, compounding factors that undermine student outcomes and overall school effectiveness. Multigenerational teachers and staff must understand change communication strategies as a leading indicator of unsuccessful workforce and organizational change in schools. Grounded in social constructivist theory and conceptually informed by Goffman’s frame analysis, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to explore how multigenerational teachers and staff experience change communication as recipients and agents of change in schools. The participants consisted of 16 multigenerational teachers and staff members across four generations from a charter school in Chicago, Illinois. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews during a period of large-scale change. Through thematic analysis, six themes were identified: (a) framing as meaning making, (b) dual identity as recipients and agents of change, (c) relationships as communication capital, (d) the emotional landscape of change, (e) barriers undermining effective communication, and (f) leaders as architects of meaning for the environment. Findings support the importance of language, thought, and forethought in leader intentionality within organizational communication, as well as their intersection with leader-member relationships and organizational culture. Implications for positive social change include the potential for organizational leaders to amplify teacher and staff voices regarding change communication’s impact on attrition and retention, strengthen leader-member relationships, preserve school culture, and advance quality teaching and learning outcomes.

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