Difference between "change is constant" and "change is a constant"

Question

The boss asked me the other day whether it's more correct to say

In our business, change is constant.

or

In our business, change is a constant.

Both of these sound perfectly correct to me, which is what I told him; but there's a slight difference in meaning that I just can't seem to articulate. Help?

Definitions, not that they're much help:

constant (noun): a quantity that does not vary
constant (adjective): unvarying in nature; steadfast in purpose or devotion or affection; uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing

Answer 1

I think if your implication is that change is a given, that it is one of the only constants you see in the business, then you use the noun (change is a constant).

If your implication is that all we ever see is change, change, change, change, change then use the adjective (change is constant).

Answer 2

"Change is constant" means that change is occurring continuously, while "change is a constant" means that change is an always-to-be-expected condition. The choice between the two terms thus depends on context and what you want to emphasize. For example, if discussing company flexibility, I think one might say "We recognize that change is a constant in this business" (or perhaps rather "We recognize that change is a given in this business").

Answer 3

I believe you already understood the first one "Change is constant" but the second one "change is a constant" simply means that the only thing that is constant is "change" itself, which must be. So they are pretty much the same thing. "Constant" a situation that does not change (e.g. Change which must occur and still remain change itself).