Study of Nigerian employees shows effect of change leadership on attitudinal support for changes

Purpose The purpose of the research was to examine how change leadership activities could help bring about employee support for planned organizational change. Design/methodology/approach The authors tested their theories on employees at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education (FME), which was undergoing major reforms. The “Ministerial Strategic Plan” was to be implemented over four years from 2018 to 2022. Data came from employees at FME headquarters. Of the 212 respondents to a questionnaire, 58% were females, 85% were principal staff, while 15% were support staff. Findings Analysis showed that of the three hypothesized direct effects from change leadership, only the path from change leadership behaviors to cognitive appraisal (H1a) was statistically significant. The paths from change leadership to emotional response (H1b) and change leadership to intentions to support change (H1c) were not statistically significant. Meanwhile, hypothesis 2, which stated "employee cognition and emotion toward a change serially mediates the relationship between change leadership and employee behavioral intentions toward a planned change" was fully supported. Originality/value Previous studies had suggested an effect from change leadership behaviors, but there was a lack of the types of empirical evidence gathered in Nigeria. The results could also help managers to plan for changes by revealing the critical role of employees’ cognitive appraisal of the proposals. Change agents should focus on employee attitudes to changes as precursors to desired positive behavior.

The effect of change leadership on employee attitudinal support for planned organizational change

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how change leadership activities help bring about employee support for planned organizational change.Design/methodology/approachUsing a non-experimental quantitative research design, and a self-administered Likert-type questionnaire survey, the study sourced data from employees in an organization undergoing significant change. Data analysis was by structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsChange leadership behaviors bearing on; visioning, communication, participation, support and concern for change participants' interests were found to be of significant importance in ensuring employee buy-in and support for planned change efforts. Although change leadership had no direct effect on employees' behavioral intentions to support change, it was strongly related to employee cognitive appraisal of change. The relationship between change leadership and employee behavioral intentions to support planned change was serially mediated by employee cognitive appraisal and emotional response toward the planned change event.Practical implicationsIn appraising planned organizational change efforts, managers tend to focus on employee behaviors toward the change instead of conditions that drive such behaviors. This study underscores the need to focus on employee attitudes as precursors to desired behavior toward change.Originality/valuePrior research suggests that change leadership behaviors affect employee attitudinal reactions to change but yet lacked empirical validation. By applying a multidimensional approach to attitude and investigating its hierarchy of effects, this study enhanced our accuracy in explaining the influence change leadership has on employee attitudinal support for change.

Change Leader Behavior Inventory

While the pace and complexity of change is increasing, the rate of failed change attempts continues to be unacceptably high. Leaders at every level play a central role in change, yet few receive formal training on how to lead change and to date, a validated assessment to provide feedback on their performance has been lacking. The current study is intended to help close this gap. This article describes an effort to develop and validate an instrument to measure change leadership behaviors, the Change Leader Behavior Inventory.

The relationship between primary and middle school principals’ change leadership behaviors and teachers’ organizational commitmentİlkokul ve ortaokul müdürlerinin değişim liderliği davranışları ile öğretmenlerin örgütsel bağlılıkları arasındaki ilişki

<p>The purpose of the current study is to determine whether primary and middle school teachers’ perceptions of school principals’ change leadership behaviors are correlated with their organizational commitment. The sample of the study was comprised of 252 teachers working at 56 primary and middle schools in Birecik district of Şanlıurfa province. To collect data, “Change Leadership Scale” and “Organizational Commitment Scale” were used. Research data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, correlation analysis and regression analysis. It was concluded that school principals exhibited change leadership behaviors at moderate level (partly agree), and teachers’ organizational commitment perceptions were at moderate level (partly agree) as well. Regression analysis indicated that school principals’ change leadership behaviors were significant and positive predictors of teachers’ organizational commitment. Based on the findings of the research, it can be recommended that school principals must display democratic management, involve teachers in the decisions made regarding change and provide them with required environment and conditions for their professional development in order to enhance teachers’ organizational commitment.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Özet</strong></p><p>Bu araştırmanın amacı ilkokul ve ortaokullarda görev yapan öğretmenlerin, okul müdürlerinin değişim liderliği davranışlarına ilişkin algılarının, örgütsel bağlılıklarıyla ilişkisi olup olmadığını belirlemektir. Bu araştırmanın örneklemini, Şanlıurfa İli Birecik İlçesi’ ndeki 56 ilköğretim okulunda görev yapan 252 öğretmen oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada veri toplamak amacıyla “Değişim Liderliği Ölçeği” ve “Örgütsel Bağlılık Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırma verileri ortalama, standart sapma, korelasyon analizi, regresyon analizi ile çözümlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak; okul müdürlerinin değişim liderliği davranışlarını orta (kısmen katılıyorum düzeyinde) düzeyde sergiledikleri, öğretmenlerin örgütsel bağlılıkları ise orta (katılıyorum düzeyinde) düzeyde olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Regresyon analizleri sonucunda okul müdürlerinin değişim liderliği davranışlarının öğretmenlerin örgütsel bağlılığını anlamlı ve pozitif olarak yordadığı görülmüştür. Araştırma bulgularına dayalı olarak öğretmenlerin örgütsel bağlılıklarını arttırmak için okul yöneticilerinin demokratik bir yönetim sergilemeleri, değişim ile ilgili alınan kararlarda öğretmenlerin katılımlarının sağlanması ve mesleki gelişmelerini sağlamak ve sürdürmek için öğretmenlere gerekli ortam ve olanakların sağlanması önerilebilir.</p>