The effect of ambiguity on the implementation of a social change initiative

Recent debate in the social sciences and the communication discipline has considered the value of ambiguity and uncertainty in a variety of contexts. This research considered the context of a community‐level change regarding health care, and investigated the impact of perceived ambiguity on beliefs about the likely success of the initiative. Interviews with 48 key participants were content analyzed in terms of statements regarding ambiguity and beliefs about implementation. Results indicated that respondents overwhelmingly talked about situations of high ambiguity and overwhelmingly viewed these situations of uncertainty as detrimental to the initiative's success.