Why Communication Alone Does Not Drive Behavior Change

The Information Deficit Assumption

Most organizational change programs are built on an implicit assumption: if people understand why they need to change, they will change. This is called the Information Deficit Model, and it drives enormous investment in change communication: town halls, email campaigns, leadership videos, internal newsletters, FAQs, and roadshows.

The assumption is intuitive and partially correct. People do need to understand the change. But understanding is necessary and not sufficient. Decades of behavioral science research shows that information alone rarely produces behavior change, because knowledge is only one of several behavioral determinants.

What Communication Actually Changes

Communication primarily affects two COM-B components: Capability (knowledge) and Reflective Motivation (beliefs and intentions). It can inform people about what the change is and why it matters. It can shift their conscious attitudes toward the change. What it cannot do is build skills, change environmental conditions, alter social norms, or override habits.

Consider an organization rolling out a new reporting process. The communication campaign explains the rationale, demonstrates the benefits, and shows leadership support. Employees now know what to do and why it matters. But the old reporting system is still faster. Their team has not switched yet. The new system requires steps they have not practiced. Under deadline pressure, the old habit wins. None of these barriers respond to more communication.

What Completes the Picture

Communication is one component of a behavioral intervention, not the whole intervention. The SHIFT framework positions communication within a larger design that addresses all three COM-B domains. Capability barriers need skill-building and practice, not just information. Opportunity barriers need environmental redesign, not just messaging. Motivation barriers need social proof, friction reduction, and implementation intentions, not just rational arguments.

The practical implication for change leaders: if your communication plan is strong and behavior has not changed, the answer is not more communication. The answer is diagnosis. Identify the actual barriers using COM-B. Design interventions that address those specific barriers. Communication may be part of the solution, but it is rarely the whole solution.

Communication creates awareness and intent. It does not create behavior change. When awareness is high and behavior has not changed, the barrier is somewhere else. Find it with COM-B diagnosis before investing more in messaging.