Numerous research studies have analyzed the factors that influence acceptance and resistance to change (Beer & Nohia, 2002; Conner, 1993, Dyche, 2002; Hammer, 2003; Lewin, 1951) but there is a lack of scholarly research regarding an employee's perception of the influence communicative processes have on their level of acceptance of organizational change. The purpose of the applied dissertation was to investigate the relationship between the presence of a communication plan and the level of acceptance of an organizational change initiative by online college instructors. A quantitative study was conducted utilizing a Likert-type survey administered electronically to 357 online college instructors who are members of an online instructor forum. Key research questions focused on the relationship between the presence of a communication plan and the level of acceptance and/or resistance of an organizational change initiative in distance education institutions. The survey data were analyzed using ANCOVA with multiple regression parameter estimates in order to identify relationships between the variables. Further research will need to be conducted in order to determine if a causal relationship exists between the presence of a communication plan and the acceptance or (or resistance to) a change initiative implemented in distance education organizations.