Understanding the individual's reactions to the organizational change: a multidimensional approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 667-681
Author(s):  
Renata Borges ◽  
Camila Amaro Quintas

PurposeThe objective of this research is to analyze in a multidimensional perspective the individual responses to organizational change, specifically about the implementation of a new performance evaluation system, investigating some antecedents of the individual reactions to change.Design/methodology/approachCompanies from the education industry were surveyed, and standardized questionnaires were applied. We obtained a sample size of 386 valid responses. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the measurement model and test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate positive reactions to the organizational change, without ambivalent responses. Employees' cognitive and behavioral reactions are influenced by the individuals' anticipation and past similar organizational change and do not depend on the perceived threat to social work life. The influence of group pressure and organizational readiness on cognitive and behavioral reactions differs in the direction that group pressure affects behaviors but not thoughts, and organizational readiness affects thoughts but not behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include the inadequate measures of individuals' emotional reaction, preventing this dimension from being tested.Originality/valueThis research provides theoretical contributions as the literature on organizational change lacks a multidimensional view on individuals' reactions to change. The main contribution of this study is to investigate how each of the individual and organizational antecedents of the employees' responses to the change influences the cognitive and behavioral reactions towards the change employing a multidimensional approach.

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1030-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Hatjidis ◽  
Andrew Parker

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the relationships formed between the universal network quality perceptions and the dyadic network quality perceptions that an individual formulate through social ties at work and their effect on behavioral reaction toward organizational change. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 91 full-time hotel employees through a self-report survey. Using regression models and mediation method three hypotheses referring to the relationship between the universal and the dyadic perceptions as well as the indirect effect of the dyadic network perception on behavioral reactions to change, through universal network perceptions, are tested. Findings The results show that universal network perception has a positive association with an individual’s behavior toward change, while the authors’ dyadic network perception hypothesis is not supported. Additional results highlight the indirect effect of dyadic network perception on behavioral reactions to change through universal network perceptions. Research limitations/implications Owing to the nature of the study, the inferences of causality might not be that strong as the authors’ findings are limited to the fact that the outcome variable is the behavioral intention toward a hypothetical organizational change rather than an actual change. Practical implications Although both types of perceptions are needed in affecting behavioral intentions, the universal network perceptions are the ones that need to be considered as indicators of the need for proactive non-conventional management planning with regard to the human element of change management. Originality/value The principal contribution of this study is that it brings greater clarity to how tie quality perceptions are constructed and their impact on employees’ behavior toward organizational change.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepika Pandita ◽  
Amresh Kumar

Purpose This paper aims to develop the readers’ understanding of the transforming role of job engagement (JOB) drivers, specifically for Gen Z in information technology (IT) Companies across India. It measures the association of JOB and perceived organizational support (POS), perceived supervisor support (PSS) and co-worker relationship (COP) with a very special reference to Gen Z. Design/methodology/approach A total of 302 survey-based responses were collected. To test the conceptualized model of JOB, structural equation modeling was used. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using the AMOS platform toward determining the reliability and validity of the individual constructs and the overall model. Findings All three dimensions, namely, POS, PSS and COP, are positively related to JOB. Out of the three, the most contributing extent in engaging Gen Z is PSS. Research limitations/implications A conceptual framework of Gen Z engagement drivers could help human resource (HR) researchers fine-tune Gen Z employees’ retention strategy. The paper shows that it is not about pandering to them but about eliminating blocks so that Gen Z can deliver the future business. Practical implications The outcomes may aid establishments and policymakers in advancing and improving HRs policies in engaging Gen Z, who have started entering the organizations. Originality/value JOB practices can add to the determinations of the HRs processes in the IT start-ups organizations in dealing with Gen Z. This research reconnoiters the drivers of engagement strategies directly impacting JOB Gen Z.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald E. Rice ◽  
Marni Heinz ◽  
Ward van Zoonen

Purpose This study aims to take a public goods approach to understand relationships between collecting and contributing knowledge to an online knowledge sharing portal (KSP), mental model processing and outcomes at the individual and collective levels. Design/methodology/approach This study reports on a survey (N = 602) among tax professionals, examining the perceived individual and collective benefits and costs associated with collecting and contributing knowledge. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings Collecting and contributing knowledge led to considerable mental model processing of the knowledge. That in turn significantly influenced (primarily) individual and (some) collective costs and benefits. Results varied by the kinds of knowledge sharing. Whether directly from knowledge sharing, or mediated through mental modeling, the perceived costs and benefits may be internalized as an individual good rather than being interpreted at the collective level as a public good. Research limitations/implications The study is situated in the early stages of a wiki-type online KSP. A focus on the learning potential of the system could serve to draw in new users and contributors, heightening perceptions of the public goods dimension of a KSP. Practical implications A focus on the learning potential of the system could serve to draw in new users, and thus the number of subsequent contributors, heightening perceptions of the collective, public goods dimension of a KSP. Originality/value This study explores how knowledge sharing and mental model processing are directly and indirectly associated with individual and collective costs and benefits. As online knowledge sharing is both an individual and public good, costs and benefits must be considered from both perspectives.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Somaieh Alavi ◽  
Hamid Aghakhani

PurposeThe present study attempted to identify, measure and prioritize key green human resource management (GHRM) practices to achieve the lean-agile mindset in the steel industry.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an in-depth review of the literature, this study identifies GHRM practices. Then, the effect of green HRM practices on the lean-agile mindset was evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM). In the next step, using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), prioritization of practices that have significant effects on lean-agile mindset were discussed.FindingsThe present study introduced eight GHRM practices. The results of SEM showed a significant and positive effect of all GHRM practices on lean-agile mindset. Prioritization of GHRM practices by the FAHP was defined as green reward management, green education and development, green performance evaluation, green discipline management, green employment, green safety and health management, green selection and green career design.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study suffers from some limitations. First, the research was conducted at a temporal section. Second, this research has been conducted in a particular industry.Practical implicationsThe present study encourages human resource managers to increase their efforts to achieve green employees and put employee greenery in their strategic goals.Social implicationsSuccessful implementation of GHRM programs has positive consequences at the individual, organizational and community levels. Implementation of the identified actions increases employee vitality at the individual level. At the organizational level, the work environment of environmentally friendly organizations is also more attractive to job seekers. Finally, at the social and extra-organizational level, a green lifestyle is spread in the community, which will lead to a healthy and green environment.Originality/valueEmphasizing environmental principles on the one hand and creating the lean-agile mindset on the other are effective factors on maintaining the competitive advantage of industries. In this regard, the present study presented two innovations in HRM literature: (1) assessing the effect of GHRM practices on lean-agile mindset and (2) prioritizing GHRM practices based on the lean-agile mindset.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 592-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Salas Vallina ◽  
Maria D. Moreno-Luzon ◽  
Anna Ferrer-Franco

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine whether inspirational leadership of heads of specialized medical units is related to individual ambidexterity of their dependent physicians; and second, to study the possible mediating role of organizational learning capability (OLC) in the relationship between inspirational leadership and individual ambidexterity.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used on a sample of 194 medical specialists from Spanish public hospitals.FindingsResults show that inspirational leadership is positively related to individual ambidexterity among healthcare physicians. In addition, the results of the study revealed that the relationship between inspirational leadership and individual ambidexterity is mediated by conditions that facilitate learning, namely, OLC.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses cross-sectional data, which do not guarantee causality relationships among the examined variables.Practical implicationsThe results of this paper suggest first that heads of healthcare units should inspire followers to achieve both exploration and exploitation. Second, it is also necessary to consider that inspirational leaders promote those conditions that facilitate learning, which should be particularly taken into account to enhance both physician’s exploration and exploitation.Originality/valueIn stressing an evident gap in the relationship between leadership and ambidexterity at the individual level, this paper attempts to advance in the leadership literature by revealing how the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions, and enhancing enthusiasm and confidence, empowers physicians to both explore and exploit knowledge. The results also indicate that the inspiration transmitted by the heads of medical services, facilitate physician’s perceived learning conditions which, in turn, fosters their individual ambidexterity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1657-1671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuha Yang ◽  
Jin Nam Choi ◽  
Kyungmook Lee

Complementing prior research on the macro- and system-focused views of organizational change, we examined microprocesses of change by attending to 3 different forms of change behavior as predicted by the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Data were collected from 193 employee–coworker dyads working in various organizations in South Korea. Results showed that the TPB-based predictors were related to distinct forms of change behavior. Specifically, the change efficacy of employees predicted their compliance with change, management support for change predicted employees' cooperation with change, and change favorableness was related to proactive championing for change. Magnitude of change was a positive predictor of the 3 forms of change behavior (compliance, cooperation, and championing) and moderated the relationship between change efficacy and compliance with change. We have contributed to the literature by elaborating on the microlevel dynamics of organizational change by introducing the TPB to explain behavioral reactions to change.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arbind Samal ◽  
Sabyasachi Patra ◽  
Devjani Chatterjee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of culture on organizational readiness to change (ORC) within the context of merger and acquisition (M&A) in the banking sector in India. Design/methodology/approach A multisource approach is used to collect data from a public-sector bank in India for testing our hypothesis. A hierarchical approach based on higher-order modelling has been deployed for confirming the path model. The foundation of the study is based on power distance (PD) and uncertainty avoidance (UA) cultural dimensions of Hofstede (1984). Findings Employees in organizations with large PD and high UA index exhibit low readiness to change. Findings support a negative relationship of culture (large PD and high UA) with organizational readiness to change at the individual level. Research limitations/implications The study has three major implications. First, measures and importance of change readiness at the individual level during corporate events such as M&A is elucidated in the study. Second, a paradigm for assessing higher-order models grounded in theoretical and methodological rigour for testing our hypothesis is presented in the paper. Last, the role of culture in M&A processes is highlighted vis-à-vis factors related to PD and UA on ORC. Practical implications The findings of the research answer to the call for a study on factors that help in creating a synergy for successful M&A across all sectors especially in the banking sector. People representing high UA and large PD often look forward to direction and guidelines for guiding employee actions. Leaders therefore need to set clear agenda and effectively communicate the appropriateness of change to their employees for developing positive behaviour towards desirable organizational outcomes. This study touches upon this important perspective for its practical utilization. Originality/value The study adds to the limited literature on change which addresses the need for studying socio-cultural factors in the M&A process, especially in an emerging economies context.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjoerd van den Heuvel ◽  
René Schalk ◽  
Charissa Freese ◽  
Volken Timmerman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a model on how business managers perceive that an employee’s psychological contract influences his or her attitude toward an organizational change. More specifically, it aims to provide insight into the managerial views on: first, the affective, behavioral and cognitive responses of employees toward organizational change; second, the pre-change and change antecedents of these responses; and third, the role of the psychological contract as a pre-change antecedent. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 39 human resource directors, change managers and management consultants in eight European countries. Based on detailed grounded theory-driven analyses of the qualitative data, a conceptual model was developed. Findings – Based on the grounded theory analysis, a model emerged that positions the individual change perception and individual answer to the “what’s in it for me?” question as central determinants of an employee’s attitude toward change. Moreover, the model distinguishes between “influencing” variables that shape the employees’ change perception, and “overruling” variables that can potentially reverse the change perceptions. Practical implications – A strong emphasis on managing the employment relationship by fulfilling mutual obligations and by creating trust will yield more constructive responses to organizational change than focussing on managing an organizational change as an independent event. Originality/value – As one of the first in its field, this study provides insight in the sense-making processes during organizational change, while adopting a managerial perspective. A grounded theory approach by means of interviewing, serves as a first step toward better understanding of the development of employees’ affective, behavioral and cognitive responses to organizational change.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke van den Brink

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge of organizational change towards diversity by bringing together concepts from organizational learning and diversity studies. Design/methodology/approach This longitudinal study was conducted over two years. It involved interviews, observation of meetings and consultation of documentation and the analysis focused on organizational learning. The key research question was how do organizational members institutionalize their individual learning process to change in organizational cultures, routines and structures in a sustainable way? Findings The results showed that there had been learning at the individual level but this did not necessarily mean that participants had been able to transfer their learning into behaviour change. Research limitations/implications The research suggested that training alone may not be sufficient to promote effective organizational change regarding diversity. Additional measures are likely to be required, for example, including diversity targets in performance management plans and reviews. Practical implications In order to achieve greater diversity, organizations are likely to need to use a number of methods to supplement initial training. Social implications This research gives insight into how greater diversity may be achieved in organizations. Originality/value Previous literature understates the complexity of the change processes for enhanced diversity to be sustained in organizations. This study has originality in its focus on organizational learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Secil Bayraktar ◽  
Alfredo Jiménez

PurposeDrawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study empirically tests the impact of transformational leadership on commitment to and intention to support organizational change, proposing self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism. This study also aims to study whether the extent of change in the organization moderates the proposed relationship between transformational leadership, self-efficacy and change reactions.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted with a sample of 298 employees going through a major organizational change. The proposed moderated mediation relationship was tested by using PROCESS macro.FindingsThe findings showed that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and reactions to change. Moreover, the extent of changes experienced by the employees moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and outcome variables. In other words, in high change contexts, self-efficacy appeared as a more salient and instrumental resource leading to positive reactions.Practical implicationsThe results guide change managers to display a transformational leadership style to enhance self-efficacy of change recipients to generate positive attitudes and behaviors during change. Also, this study shows that self-efficacy particularly gains importance when the extent of change is high.Originality/valueThis study makes several important contributions to the organizational change literature. First, it shows that leaders play a crucial role in generating resources that enhance employees' positive reactions to change. Second, the conditional factor of the extent of change has not received much attention in the literature. This study raises attention to the fact that the importance of such resources may differ across low versus high extent of change contexts.


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