Using Leading Questions to Reduce Resistance to Innovation

Innovation is crucial for organizational success and survival. Yet, organizations often find it difficult to assimilate new ideas as they face internal resistance to change and innovation. Therefore, managers need to implement strategies to reduce such resistance. In two laboratory experiments, we examined the effects of asking leading questions – a powerful means for attitude change – to overcome innovation resistance. We investigate two leading questions strategies, which might lead to self-persuasion: the conventional and the superattitudinal (or paradoxical). The conventional strategy includes leading questions that encourage individuals to respond with statements which are inconsistent with their held views. In contrast, the superattitudinal questions stir individuals to respond with statements consistent with their opinions but more extreme and exaggerated. In the current research, the leading questions prompted answers that relate to resistance to innovation. Both persuasion methods were similarly effective for participants who had relatively low initial levels of resistance to change. However, the conventional strategy was more effective among the more resistant individuals, both when resistance to change was measured (Study 1) and when it was manipulated (Study 2). These are initial indications as to ways to better direct persuasion and attempts to reduce resistance to innovation.