The Relationship between Employee Attitude Toward Change and Organizational Commitment: The Moderating Role of Psychological Defense Mechanisms

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine which defense mechanisms can help to regulate the link between attitude toward change and organizational commitment. Psychological defenses are characterized as protective processes that help individuals maintain their integrity in the face of threat and danger. Previously, extant research has mainly emphasized organizational issues while individual psychological factors have remained largely ignored. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate the moderating effects of psychological defense mechanisms on the relationship between employee attitude toward change and organizational commitment.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 499 employees were chosen from the banks of the Southern Punjab, Pakistan, using a purposive sampling methodology. The information was gathered using validated questionnaires. The data was analyzed for descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis.
 Findings: The findings showed a positive correlation between employee positive attitude toward change and organizational commitment and a negative relationship between employee negative attitude toward change and organizational commitment. The results of the moderation analysis revealed that the association between employee attitude toward change and organizational commitment is negatively moderated by all three defense mechanisms.
 Implications/Originality/Value: The findings highlight the significance of psychological factors during the organizational change process and suggests recruiting employees with positive attitudes.