Employee Readiness For Change Research Articles

Employee readiness for change: examining the combined effects of individual and organizational demands in public school reform

PurposeThe paper aims to clarify how work-specific characteristics at both the individual and organizational level influence professional civil servants’ readiness for change during the implementation of reforms in public administration. We examine the influence of work characteristics at the individual and organizational levels, such as reform-related strains, organizational climate, and organizational professionalism, on the employees’ response to change. In addition, we also consider the interaction between these specific work characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThis article employs a quantitative multi-level analysis to examine the influence of individual and collective predictors of employees' readiness for change. For our analysis, we used data from the evaluation of a school reform in Switzerland aimed at aligning teachers' working conditions with those of other administrative employees. The survey conducted for the evaluation includes responses from 2,162 teachers.FindingsOur study expands the understanding in public management research of work characteristics that either promote or reduce employees’ readiness for change in the public sector. Our findings suggest that the organizational level, in our case the school level, influences the individual’s response to change. Furthermore, the role of organizational professionalism in terms of a reform-related transformation of the identities, structures, and practices of the actors concerned is highlighted as a potential stressor and catalyst that reinforces the negative correlation between reform-related stress and willingness to change.Practical implicationsThis paper offers insights into how public managers can effectively overcome challenges in the implementation process of public school reforms. This also includes the awareness among change agents that positively associated changes at the organizational level may have negative consequences at the individual level, due to the fact that they affect professional understanding, for example, which may cause the affected actors to respond with resistance.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the small number of multi-level research studies on the responses to change in public administration and answers the call for research to investigate the hurdles that may arise when implementing change. Further, the paper contributes to the literature on the impact of new public management (NPM) on the identity of professional civil servants.

Employee readiness for change: examining the combined effects of individual and organizational demands in public school reform

PurposeThe paper aims to clarify how work-specific characteristics at both the individual and organizational level influence professional civil servants’ readiness for change during the implementation of reforms in public administration. We examine the influence of work characteristics at the individual and organizational levels, such as reform-related strains, organizational climate, and organizational professionalism, on the employees’ response to change. In addition, we also consider the interaction between these specific work characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThis article employs a quantitative multi-level analysis to examine the influence of individual and collective predictors of employees' readiness for change. For our analysis, we used data from the evaluation of a school reform in Switzerland aimed at aligning teachers' working conditions with those of other administrative employees. The survey conducted for the evaluation includes responses from 2,162 teachers.FindingsOur study expands the understanding in public management research of work characteristics that either promote or reduce employees’ readiness for change in the public sector. Our findings suggest that the organizational level, in our case the school level, influences the individual’s response to change. Furthermore, the role of organizational professionalism in terms of a reform-related transformation of the identities, structures, and practices of the actors concerned is highlighted as a potential stressor and catalyst that reinforces the negative correlation between reform-related stress and willingness to change.Practical implicationsThis paper offers insights into how public managers can effectively overcome challenges in the implementation process of public school reforms. This also includes the awareness among change agents that positively associated changes at the organizational level may have negative consequences at the individual level, due to the fact that they affect professional understanding, for example, which may cause the affected actors to respond with resistance.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the small number of multi-level research studies on the responses to change in public administration and answers the call for research to investigate the hurdles that may arise when implementing change. Further, the paper contributes to the literature on the impact of new public management (NPM) on the identity of professional civil servants.

Readiness to change in Islamic banking: the significance of adaptability and Islamic work ethics

Purpose This paper aims to investigate Islamic work ethics and adaptability towards change readiness of Islamic Bank employees in Indonesia with commitment as a mediating variable. This study focuses on the Sharia banking industry, which is facing transformation from Sharia business units to Sharia commercial banks by preparing its human resources, thus minimizing resistance. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a survey of 135 Bank Syariah Indonesia employees via an online questionnaire. PLS-SEM is used to analyze data and test hypotheses using SMART-PLS. Findings The results of the study show that adaptability does not have a positive and significant effect on readiness for change in Indonesian Sharia banks and organizational commitment. Meanwhile, Islamic work ethics have a positive and significant effect on the change readiness of Islamic bank employees in Indonesia as well as organizational commitment. This study also found that organizational commitment mediates the impact of Islamic work ethics on the change readiness of Islamic bank employees in Indonesia. Research limitations/implications This research uses a sample of employees at Sharia commercial banks (BUS) in Indonesia, so it is still limited to certain types of banks. Future research needs to test the model in different contexts, such as banks that still have Sharia business unit (UUS) status. In addition, further research needs to use other variables such as leader support for transformational change readiness. Future research also needs to control more variables and use a more complex scale than a binary scale (e.g. percentage of share ownership or area within a province or district/city). This study recommends that employee change readiness is very necessary to avoid resistance and resistance to the transformation and acceleration of Sharia banking in Indonesia. Originality/value This research looks at employee readiness for change in Indonesian Sharia banks through the lens of adaptability Islamic work ethics and organizational commitment.

Determinants of Employee Change Readiness: A Study of Transformational Leadership and Self-Efficacy and the Role of Organizational Commitment

The covid pandemic requires the readiness of employees to deal with the work system. This study aims to determine the effect of Transformational Leadership, Self-Efficacy, and Organizational Commitment on Readiness to Change and to determine the role of Organizational Commitment in mediating the relationship between Transformational Leadership and Self-Efficacy on Readiness to Change. This study was conducted at the Civil Servants of the Regional Secretariat of Poso Regency with a population of 260 people. The sample in this study used a purposive sampling technique of 118 respondents. The exogenous variables in this study are Transformational Leadership and Self-Efficacy, while the endogenous variables are Readiness to Change mediated by Organizational Commitment. Variable measurements were carried out using a Likert scale. Data analysis was performed using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) with the PLS (Partial Least Square) approach. The software used for structural analysis uses Smart PLS 3.2.9. The results of the analysis show that Transformational Leadership and Self-Efficacy have a positive and significant effect on Organizational Commitment. Transformational Leadership, Self-Efficacy, and Organizational Commitment have a positive and significant impact on Readiness to Change. Organizational Commitment partially mediates the relationship between Transformational Leadership and Self-Efficacy and Readiness to Change.

Being proactive in the age of AI: exploring the effectiveness of leaders' AI symbolization in stimulating employee job crafting

PurposeThis study aims to explore whether, how and when leaders' artificial intelligence (AI) symbolization (i.e. the demonstration of leaders' acceptance of and support for AI by engaging in AI-related behaviors and/or displaying objects that reflect their affinity for AI) affects employee job crafting behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted two studies (i.e. an experiment and a multi-wave field survey) with samples from different contexts (i.e. United States and China) to test our theoretical model. The authors used ordinary least squares (OLS) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to test the hypotheses.FindingsLeaders' AI symbolization is positively related to employee change readiness and, in turn, promotes employee job crafting. Moreover, employee-attributed impression management motives moderate the positive indirect effect of leaders' AI symbolization on employee job crafting via change readiness, such that this indirect effect is stronger when employee-attributed impression management motives are low (vs high).Practical implicationsLeaders should engage in AI symbolization to promote employee job crafting and avoid behaviors that may lead employees to attribute their AI symbolization to impression management.Originality/valueBy introducing the concept of leaders' AI symbolization, this study breaks new ground by illustrating how leaders' AI symbolization positively influences employees' change readiness, as well as job crafting in the workplace. Further, integrating AI as a novel and timely context for evaluating job crafting contributes to the literature where empirical research is relatively scant, particularly regarding the factors that prompt employees to engage in job crafting.

Organizational culture and affective commitment to e-learning’ changes during COVID-19 pandemic: The underlying effects of readiness for change

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have been embracing digital transformation for years, but the disruptive influence of the global COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated it. Despite the importance of organizational culture (OC) for the successful delivery of e-learning, empirical studies looking at its impact on academics’ readiness and affective commitment to e-learning-induced changes are scant. This study unveils the underlying impacts of multiple employee readiness for change (ERFC) dimensions in the OC-employee affective commitment to change (EACC) relationship. Survey data were obtained from 1,200 Jordanian public HEIs’ academics. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data, testing the study’s six hypotheses. The findings offer a novel contribution by showing that OC types influence different dimensions of ERFC, each having a distinctive impact on EACC. It further shows that two ERFC dimensions, namely self-efficacy and personal valence, function as full mediators in the relationships between group culture/adhocracy culture and EACC.

The Influence of Organizational Culture on Employee Affective Commitment to Change with Employee Resilience and Employee Readiness to Change as Mediators

Changes in the organizational environment (e.g. IT, covid-19, age of employees) are driving organizational change, including government organization. Several studies have shown that 70% of change programs fail to run with various causes. The role of humans as a factor that influences the success of organizational change is necessary to research employee commitment to change by looking at the factors that affect it. This study aims to analyze, interpret and evaluate resource management practices, especially about the influence of Organizational Culture, Employee Resilience, and Employee Readiness to Change on Employee Affective Commitment to Change. Data collection was carried out through a survey at a government-owned academy in Indonesia with 185 respondents. The data were analyzed using variant-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) or Partial Least Square (PLS-SEM). As a result, Externally Oriented Organizational Culture significantly affects Employee Affective Commitment to Change through Employee Readiness to Change as a mediator variable. On the other hand, Employee Resilience has no significant effect on Employee Affective Commitment to Change Keywords: affective employee commitment to change, organizational culture, employee resilience, employee readiness for change

The mediating effect of affective commitment to change in the readiness for change – TQM relationship

A comprehensive review of the literature indicates that the impact of employee readiness for change (ERFC) and employee affective commitment to change (EACC) on total quality management (TQM) implementation is still in its infancy. More specifically, there are limited empirical studies examining the mediating role that EACC plays in the ERFC dimensions – TQM relationship. To address these gaps, we aimed to investigate the relationship between ERFC dimensions and TQM with the meditational role of EACC. A total of 586 questionnaires were distributed to two employees, each within 293 manufacturing organisations in Jordan. The analysis, conducted using structural equation modelling, demonstrated that different dimensions of ERFC impact EACC and TQM distinctively. Our findings offer strong evidence of the pivotal mediating role of EACC in the relationship between ERFC dimensions and TQM. Thus, this study unveils the role of EACC as a mechanism upon which the ERFC–TQM relationship is based.

Employee Readiness for Organizational Change in the SME Internalization Process: The Case of a Medium-Sized Construction Company

A growing body of research, especially in the domain of psychology and business, is aimed at identifying the link between work-related factors and employee readiness to accept change. Moreover, change management is a topic that rapidly attracts the attention of the academic and business communities as well. Therefore, this study is conducted in order to identify the antecedents of the effective implementation of change(s) within a context of a medium-sized construction company that went through numerous changes during its lifetime. A total of 12 different hypotheses and sub-hypotheses was tested to better understand what factors affect employee readiness for change. A multiple regression analysis was used on a sample of 54 employees indicating that organizational commitment, career commitment, and job satisfaction positively affect employee readiness for organizational change. The research contributes to the fields of human resources, organizational psychology, management of small and medium-sized enterprises, and change management.

Organizational Justice and Employee Readiness for Change: The Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support.

Recent studies have shown that an organization must adapt to change to succeed in a constantly changing market. However, most change efforts fail due to employee resistance to change. It is critical to address employee readiness for change to avoid employee resistance. Employees’ perceptions of fair treatment by their organizations have positively predicted their Readiness for organizational change. This research aims to investigate the influence of organizational justice on employee readiness for change using perceived organizational support (POS) as a mediator. This study was carried out on the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) and conducted with 359 employees. The study used a structural equation model and multiple regression analysis to analyze the data. The model developed explains how POS mediates the positive relationship between organizational justice and employee readiness for change. The result shows that organizational justice is a significant influencing factor on employee readiness for change. Furthermore, POS mediates the positive influence of organizational justice on employee readiness for change. This study can assist public and private organizations, as well as policymakers and practitioners, in improving and encouraging different organizational change practices in Ethiopia. Moreover, this study can also contribute to the literature on organizational change by filling the gaps in the relationship between organizational justice and employees’ Readiness for organizational change. Overall, this study concludes that organizations in Ethiopia, including ERCA, should investigate the influence of organizational justice on employee readiness for change to have successful organizational change.

The myth of a direct relationship between organizational culture and TQM: propositions and challenges for research

PurposeThis paper aims to report the results of a comprehensive literature review concerned with exploring the distinctive roles of the underlying multidimensional psychological mechanisms through which organizational culture (OC) affects TQM.Design/methodology/approachA thorough review of the relevant existing studies focusing on the direct and indirect links between OC, employee readiness for change (ERFC), employee commitment to change (ECC) and TQM implementation was conducted. To identify studies to include in the review, electronic searches of prominent databases and journals were carried out for the period 1980 to 2020.FindingsThe thorough analysis of relevant studies indicates that various types of OC influence TQM through certain psychological mechanisms namely ERFC dimensions and employee affective commitment to change. As a consequence, the paper develops a set of propositions and a novel integrative conceptual framework to explain the mediating roles of ERFCs and EACC in the OC–TQM relationship and then concludes by suggesting future lines of research and highlighting practical managerial implications.Originality/valueDrawing on academic perspectives from multiple literature streams, this study offers a more advanced understanding of the relationship between OC and TQM implementation via exploring multiple mediating paths.

The role of dispositional mindfulness in employee readiness for change during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced organisations to change the way they work to maintain viability, even though change is not always successfully implemented. Multiple scholars have identified employees' readiness for change as an important factor of successful organisational change, but research focussed on psychological factors that facilitate change readiness is scarce. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether employee dispositional mindfulness contributes to readiness for change.Design/methodology/approachEmployees (n = 301) from various industries in New Zealand participated in an online survey shortly after the local COVID-19 lockdown ended. The employees' levels of mindfulness, readiness for change, well-being and distress were assessed using well-validated psychometric scales. Multiple regression analyses tested the effect of mindfulness on readiness for change, with well-being and distress as moderating variables.FindingsThe results show that the effect of mindfulness on readiness for change is moderated by both well-being and distress. Mindfulness has a positive, significant effect on readiness for change when levels of well-being are high and levels of distress are low.Practical implicationsThese findings have important implications for organisations who aim to promote readiness for change in their employees. Even though mindfulness has been shown to be beneficial, organisations also have to consider the mental states of their employees when managing change.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical evidence that dispositional mindfulness may facilitate the employees' readiness for change, but only when levels of well-being are high and distress are low.

Change Engagement, Change Resources, and Change Demands: A Model for Positive Employee Orientations to Organizational Change.

The purpose of this conceptual article is to introduce the construct of change engagement and a model that also consists of change-related organizational resources, change-related job resources and demands, and change-related personal resources. We propose that change engagement is a construct that is theoretically and practically useful for understanding employee reactions to and adoption of organizational change. Drawing from existing models of employee engagement, we add to the change literature by identifying salient change-related organizational resources, job resources, job demands, and personal resources in a previously validated framework that brings together the literature on both engagement and change. By using the proposed change engagement framework, practitioners and researchers will potentially be able to effectively diagnose, manage, and optimize employee change readiness and enthusiasm for ongoing change. Furthermore, the change engagement model (CEM) provides practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive and practically useful model that will be easy to comprehend and communicate. The model can be applied to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of discrete change initiatives, as well as to ongoing change. The model is therefore well-suited to contemporary organizational contexts where change is widely recognized to be a constant.

No leader is an island: contextual antecedents to line managers' constructive and destructive leadership during an organizational intervention

PurposeLine managers can make or break organizational interventions, yet little is known about what makes them turn in either direction. As leadership does not occur in a vacuum, it has been suggested that the organizational context plays an important role. Building on the intervention and leadership literature, we examine if span of control and employee readiness for change are related to line managers' leadership during an organizational intervention.Design/methodology/approachLeadership is studied in terms of intervention-specific constructive, as well as passive and active forms of destructive, leadership behaviors. As a sample, we use employees (N = 172) from 37 groups working at a process industry plant. Multilevel analyses over two time points, with both survey and organizational register data were used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results revealed that span of control was negatively related to constructive leadership and positively related to passive destructive leadership during the intervention. Employee readiness for change was positively related to constructive leadership, and negatively related to both passive and active destructive leadership.Practical implicationsOur findings suggest that contextual factors need to be assessed and considered if we want line managers to engage in constructive rather than destructive leadership during interventions.Originality/valueThe present study is the first to address line managers' making or breaking of organizational interventions by examining the influence of context on both their destructive and constructive leadership.

Readiness for Change Reviewed from Intrapreneurship and Perception of Career Development

Change is necessary for a company to survive in the global competition. Intrapreneurship and perception of career development are essentials in allowing companies to be responsive. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether intrapreneurship and career development perception are predictors of readiness for change. This study involved 193 employees who have worked at least two years and have a minimum high school degree. Several measurement tools were used: (1) employee readiness for change scale with the reliability 0.827, (2) intrapreneurship scale with a reliability score of 0.912, and (3) perception of career development scale with a reliability score of 0.873. Respondents were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results of this study achieve a value of p <0.05 and R2 = 0.414, indicating that intrapreneurship and perception of career development contribute 41.4% in explaining employees' readiness for changes. Thus, this research becomes an important study of employee readiness for change.

Психологическая готовность к организационным изменениям и ее социально-психологические предикторы

Objectives. The study of socio-psychological predictors of employees’ readiness for changes (identification with the organization as a whole, identification with the unit, injective and descriptive norms) and the ratio of their contribution to the formation of employees’ readiness for changes. Background. Due to rapid technological development, the number of necessary changes within organizations is growing. A well-formed employees’ readiness for the upcoming changes is needed for the success of their implementation. It will affect the productivity of work processes. Study design. The study examined the level of readiness for organizational changes, the level of identification with the organization, with the unit, and subjective norms (injective and descriptive). Regression analysis was used to process the data. Socio-demographic characteristics differences were analyzed using the Mann—Whitney U-test and the Kruskel-Wallis N-test. Participants. The study sample included the state medical organization employees’ implementing electronic records and medical records (n = 308). Measurements. To evaluate variables, we used questionnaire “Readiness for Organizational Change” by D. Holt, questionnaire by B. Ashfort, F. Mael “Organizational Identification”, and scales for assessing perceived norms of M. Fishbein and A. Aizen. Results. It is established that identification with an organization, identification with a unit, an injective and descriptive norm are associated with a readiness to change. The strongest predictor of readiness for organizational change is the injective norm for change, the next most powerful predictor is the descriptive norm for change. A less significant contribution to readiness is identification with the organization as a whole. Identification with the working group (or unit) is associated with readiness to change negatively. The level of readiness for organizational changes among managers is significantly higher than among performers. Conclusions. Identification with the organization and unit, injective and descriptive norms make a significant contribution to the formation of employee readiness for change. Significant differences were found in the level of readiness for changes depending on the position: managers demonstrate a higher level compared to ordinary employees. The results of the study can be used by managers and management consultants to assess and build readiness for change.

The Impact of Change Strategies on Employee Readiness for Change: the Mediating Role of Change Inter

Organizational change regarding how employees think about change matters. For exploring and describing how organizational change strategies impact change readiness from a cognitive perspective, a m...

Creating employee readiness to gain support for change

The purpose of this study is to investigate how employee readiness for change was created during an organizational transformation in the telecommunication industry of Ghana. The research embraced a qualitative multiple case study using two companies. Data was gathered primarily through interviews from twenty employees. Thirteen (13) employees were interviewed from Airtel Ghana Ltd and seven (7) employees were interviewed from MTN Ghana Ltd. Managers and non-managers were the participants for the interviews. Semi-structured interviews were carried out. Thematic analysis was undertaken. It is established that: communication, explaining the need for change, engaging and addressing concerns of staff, reference to success stories, assurance about company’s capability, appropriateness of change, and team building were the tools used to create readiness for change. This research has strengthened knowledge in change management in the area of overcoming resistance to change that has been established over the years. This is the first time such a study has been carried out in Ghana especially in the telecommunications industry.

Organizational readiness for change: an inherent concern for Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Purpose This paper aims to discuss various determinants of organizational readiness to change for India small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and proposes a framework to strengthen the employees’ readiness to change which is integral to organizational readiness for change (ORC). Design/methodology/approach This paper is based upon the subjective viewpoint of the author. Findings The paper brings forward the opportunities and challenges of Indian SMEs with a suggestive framework on employee readiness for change (ERC). Practical implications The paper will help SMEs consider a framework to assess ERC before implementing a change. Originality/value The exists no framework for Indian SMEs to look-up as a benchmark to assess their ORC and ERC. Hence the paper will contribute to the literature and will be a handy reference for SMEs.

Change readiness and knowledge sharing in organisational setting: evidence from software houses

Managing change successfully is a main challenge in the sphere of organisational change management. For organisation, managers must understand accelerating factors which can augment employees' performance for change readiness. The research study investigates the relationship between employee change readiness and knowledge sharing and their overall impact on employee performance in software houses, Pakistan. This study aims to examine the mediating effect of knowledge sharing in the relationship between change readiness and employee performance to increase overall organisational effectiveness. Through quantitative study, data is collected from 340 employees and is analysed through structural equation modelling (SEM). Results reveal that knowledge sharing fully mediates between change readiness and employee performance and, without knowledge sharing culture, change readiness cannot bring fruitful results in organisational settings. Being the empirical study, that seeks to extend literature on how knowledge sharing elements mediate between change readiness and employee performance in the organisation. To offer more contextualised conclusion, the study focuses on the phenomenon of change readiness and knowledge sharing within the software industry.