Adapting to organizational change in a public sector high-reliability context: the role of negative affect and normative commitment to change

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to investigate the impact of organizational change in a public sector high-reliability context. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, our theoretical model posits that change can be stressful and cause negative affective reactions toward the change, which undermine adjustment and post-change functioning. A quantitative case study was carried out on a Dutch air force squadron undergoing a significant organizational change, including the collection of three waves of survey data from squadron members. The data underwent analysis through a process of moderated mediation. Consistently with the theoretically derived hypotheses, results show that negative affect toward the change predicted important adjustment indicators, that is, higher levels of work role overload and work errors. Furthermore, we found that the detrimental effects of negative affect were mitigated by the level of normative commitment to change, that is, the felt obligation to provide support for the change. Overall, the study’s intended contribution lies in its detailed examination of change dynamics in the specific context of public high-reliability organizations and its potential to inform theory and practice in that area.