The Vision Integration Process: Leadership, Communication, and a Reconceptualization of Vision

This study addresses the problem of how to align employee behavior and decisions with the strategic direction and goals developed by organizations. Specifically, this study aims to develop and test a theory concerning the leadership and communication processes involved in linking organizational vision with the actual work behaviors and decisions of employees in order to strategically align behavioral activity toward organizational ends. This 'vision integration process' was assessed with organizational commitment as the dependent variable. The hypothesized research model, which was developed from the academic disciplines of communication and leadership, is offered to initially test the basic linear relationships involved in the vision integration process. A sample of 1,481 employees from a large northeastern supermarket chain completed surveys, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the results. Results supported all four hypothesized relationships of the basic model. A more complex theoretical model was then analyzed, comparing measures of vision-related leadership and communication, with various goodness of fit indices being found significant. A reconceptualization of vision for research and practice is offered, as well as future enhancements for this line of research.