Authors : Sean Somersall-Weekes

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 2 - February

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5b95fs78

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4wna6zpt

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26feb638

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Abstract : Organisational change programmes frequently display early signs of progress before substantive interventions have taken effect. This paper argues that such patterns reflect an organisational analogue of the placebo effect: the capacity for expectations, symbolic cues, and leadership signalling to generate short-term shifts in perception, behaviour, and reported progress independent of underlying capability. Drawing on research in expectancy effects, cognitive priming, sensemaking, and social contagion, the paper develops a conceptual model of the organisational placebo mechanism and identifies the conditions under which constructive expectancy transitions into maladaptive illusion. The model explains recurring transformation phenomena, including early uplift, change theatre, misattribution, and enthusiasm decay, and highlights governance risks arising when belief-driven signals are mistaken for evidence of adoption. Practical guidance is offered for leaders seeking to harness positive expectancy while avoiding placebo-driven blind spots. The paper contributes a novel behavioural lens for diagnosing early progress signals and strengthening transformation governance.

Keywords : Organisational Change; Placebo Effect; Expectancy; Behavioural Mechanisms; Transformation Governance; Sensemaking; Social Contagion; Change Adoption.

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