The mediating effects of employee apathy, fear of change and organizational tenure on organizational change initiatives in an information technology organization operating in the Caribbean : an Action Research Mixed Methods study

Abstract

The mediating effects of employee apathy fear of change and organizational tenure on organizational change initiatives in an information technology organization operating in the Caribbean: an action research mixed methods study. This study aims to gain an understanding of the rationale behind employee resistance to organizational change and in particular the role that employee apathy, organizational tenure and fear of change play in employees’ resistance to change. A concurrent mixed methods action research approach was adopted for this study and surveys were sent out to all permanent employees that were employed for a minimum of one year. 116 of the 184 such employees responded (63%), 1 declined to participate, and 7 of the surveys were incomplete and were discarded. Of the 108 usable responses, 59 were female (55%) and 49 were male (45%). The survey was sent out using SurveyMonkey, and the results exported to SPSS for analysis. Additionally, twelve semi-structured interviews were undertaken with employees’ tenure ranging between two and eighteen years. The interviews were transcribed and prepared for analysis and coding using NVivo. The results from the mixed methods study were used to develop an action plan for the action research phase of the study. The analysis of the survey data included descriptive statistics where the mean, median, mode and range amongst other statistical indicators were computed This was followed by Analysis of Variance ANOVA, which was carried out to determine whether there was any statistically significant difference between the overall group means. Then Pearson Correlation regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the impact each independent variable had on the dependent variables of choice and to ascertain if the chosen independent variables, based on the researcher’s knowledge, had any statistical significance. The transcribed interviews were exported into NVivo and coded for themes. The findings, which were integrated using a Joint Display Table, indicated that (1) employees that have a propensity to fear change and are apathetic are more likely to resist organizational change; and (2) that organizational tenure did not play a role in employees’ resistance to change, nor does it mediate employee’s fear of change or employee apathy. Additionally, there was an emergent finding from the result which indicated that employees are not always trying to resist organizational change, although they may be apathetic or fearful of change, instead, they experience both positive and negative emotions relating to the change concurrently, leaving them feeling ambivalent regarding the change initiative. The implications for research can be conceptualized on three fronts: Firstly, it contributes to the immediate organization because action research has the propensity to improve and change practices due to the actions taken as a result of the study. This study has already contributed to positive and potentially sustainable changes within the organization. Secondly, this study contributes to academia, as a result of the strict academic rigour, but also has particular relevance for practitioners that operate in IT organizations operating in the Caribbean. This has resulted in the generation of new knowledge which will extend the holistic body of knowledge related to organizational change. Thirdly, because the Caribbean region is not often exposed to leading research on organizational change, business leaders in this part of the world will be able to access this study and transfer relevant actions to their practices within the Caribbean. Finally, the main aspect of the action research study was to engage in dialogue with the selected participants to illuminate the phenomenon being investigated.