Employee Inclusion During Change: The Stories of Middle Managers in Non-Profit Home Care Organizations

Abstract

Although extensive studies have provided valuable information to establish a strong relationship between the success of change and variables like communication, employee commitment, and leadership, it is important to understand the experiences of workers during a change process. The research problem exists because there is a minimal exploration of the experiences of middle management in the process of corporate decision-making during organizational change adoption in the home care industry. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of middle managers related to employee inclusion during an organizational restructuring in non-profit home care organizations. The researcher interviewed six middle managers from two non-profit home healthcare organizations in New York City using purposive sampling. The results reflected the experiences of middle managers in non-profit home care organizations and may be transferable to other organizations. The findings were categorized under the following themes: Stress and Fear, Task-Oriented Leadership Behavior, Employee Exclusion, and Job Dissatisfaction. Employers should recognize and engage middle managers in corporate decision-making that target middle managers. As change is inevitable, understanding the experience of middle managers is crucial for leaders in home care organizations undergoing organizational restructuring because of the top-down management structure in these organizations. The information may be relevant for leaders to incorporate attitudes and steps that promote a good relationship and engage middle managers in the processes of organizational change.