Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

AN EXAMINATION OF THE ANTECEDENTS OF READINESS FOR FINE-TUNING AND CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION CHANGES

  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

ABSTRACT

This study examined employee readiness for fine-tuning changes and for corporate transformation changes. It was proposed that employees would report different degrees of readiness for these two types of change and that different variables would be associated with readiness for the two types of change. Results of regression analyses indicated that trust in peers and logistics and system support displayed strong positive relationships with readiness for fine-tuning changes, while trust in senior leaders and self-efficacy displayed strong positive relationships with readiness for corporate transformation changes. The implications of this study focus on the appropriateness of traditional change management strategies in light of findings that multiple change readiness attitudes exist within an organization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armenakis A. A., Bedeian A. G. (1999). Organizational change: A review of theory and research in the 1990sJournal of Management 25(3): 293–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armenakis A. A., Harris S. G., Feild H. S. (1999). Making change permanent: A model for institutionalizing change interventions In: Pasmore W., Woodman R., (eds) Research in organizational change and development. JAI Press, Stamford, CT, pp. 97–128 Vol. 12

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Armenakis A. A., Harris S. G., Mossholder K. W. (1993). Creating readiness for organizational change Human Relations 46(6): 681–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-Stassen M., (1994). Coping with transition: A study of layoff survivors Journal of Organizational Behavior 15: 597–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashford S. J. (1988). Individual strategies for coping with stress during organizational transitions Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 24: 19–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control W.H. Freeman and Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartunek J. M., Reid R. D. (1992). The role of conflict in a second-order change attempt In: Kolb D.M., Bartunek J.M., (eds) Hidden conflict in organizations: Uncovering behind-the-scenes disputes. Sage Publications, Newbury Park

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckhard R. (1988). The executive management of transformational change. In: Kilmann R.H., T.J. Covin & Associates (eds), Corporate transformation: Revitalizing organizations for a competitive world. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp. 89–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Beehr T. A., Walsh J. T., Taber T. D. (1976). Relationships of stress to individually and organizationally valued states: Higher order needs as a moderator Journal of Applied Psychology 61: 41–47

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beer M., Eisenstat R. A., Spector B. (1990). The critical path to corporate renewal 1 Harvard Business School Press, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Buono A. F., Bowditch J. L. (1989). The human side of mergers and acquisitions: Managing collisions between people, cultures, and organizations Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Coch L., French J. R. P. (1948). Overcoming resistance to change Human Relations 1: 512–532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook J. D., Hepworth S. J., Wall T. D., Warr P. B. (1981). The experience of work Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Crampton S. M., Wagner III J. A. (1994). Percept-percept inflation in microorganizational research: An investigation of prevalence and effect Journal of Applied Psychology 79(1): 67–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham C. E., Woodward C. A., Shannon H. S., MacIntosh J., Lendrum B., Rosenbloom D., et al. (2002). Readiness for organizational change: A longitudinal study of workplace, psychological and behavioral correlates Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 75: 377–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daley D. M. (1991). Management practices and the uninvolved manager: The effect of supervisory attitudes on perceptions of organizational trust and change orientation Public Personnel Management 20: 101–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Dent E. B., Goldberg S. G. (1999). Challenging “resistance to change” Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 35(1): 25–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiFonzo N., Bordia P. (1998). A tale of two corporations: Managing uncertainty during organizational change Human Resource Management 37(3&4): 295–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dirks K. T., Cummings L. L., Pierce J. L. (1996). Psychological ownership in organizations: Conditions under which individuals promote and resist change Research in Organizational Change and Development 9: 1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Dirks K. T., Ferrin D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice Journal of Applied Psychology 87(4): 611–628

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunphy D., Stace D. A. (1988). Transformational and coercive strategies for planned organizational change: Beyond the O.D. model Organization Studies 9(3): 317–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunphy D., Stace D. A. (1993). The strategic management of corporate change Human Relations 46(8): 905–920

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eby L. T., Adams D. M., Russell J. E. A., Gaby S. H. (2000). Perceptions of organizational readiness for change: Factors related to employees’ reactions to the implementation of team-based selling Human Relations 53(3): 419–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman L. F., Benning A. L. (1999). Incremental revolution: Organizational change in highly turbulent environments Organization Development Journal 17(4): 79–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberger R., Huntington R., Hutchinnson S., Sowa D. (1986). Perceived organizational support Journal of Applied Psychology 71: 500–507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrie J. E., Shipley M. J., Marmot M. G., Stansfeld S., Smith G. D. (1998). The health effects of major organizational change and job insecurity Social Science & Medicine 46(2): 243–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox-Wolfgramm S. J., Boal K. B., Hunt J. G. (1998). Organizational adaptation to institutional change: A comparative study of first-order change in prospector and defender banks Administrative Science Quarterly 43: 87–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman S. J. (1999). The gestalt of organizational downsizing: Downsizing strategies as packages of change Human Relations 52(12): 1505–1541

    Google Scholar 

  • George J. M., Jones G. R. (2001). Towards a process model of individual change in organizations Human Relations 54(4): 419–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gist M., Mitchell T. R. (1992). Self-efficacy: A theoretical analysis of its determinants and malleability Academy of Management Review 17(2): 183–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glew D. J., Griffin R. W., Van Fleet D. D. (1995). Participation in organizations: A preview of issues and proposed framework for future analysis. Journal of Management 21(3): 395–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones J. E., Bearley W. L. (1986). Organizational change readiness survey Organization Design and Development, King of Prussia, PA

    Google Scholar 

  • Kilbourne L. M., O’Leary K. A. M., Williams S. D. (1996). Employee perceptions of fairness when human resource systems change: The case of employee layoffs Research in Organizational Change and Development 9: 25–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Latham G. P., Winters D. C., Locke E. A. (1994). Cognitive and motivational effects of participation: A mediator study Journal of Organizational Behavior 15: 49–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus R. S., Folkman S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics Human Relations 1: 5–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin K. (1951). Field theory in social science Harper Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke E. A., Schweiger D. (1979). Participation in decision-making: One more look Research in Organizational Behavior 1: 265–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Macy B. A., Peterson M. F., Norton L. W. (1989). A test of participation theory in a work re-design field setting: Degree of participation and comparison site contrasts Human Relations 12: 1095–1165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May D. R., Gibson R. L., Harter L. M. (2004). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 77: 11–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer R. C., Davis J. H., Schoorman F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust Academy of Management Review 20(3): 709–734

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKinley W., Scherer A. G. (2000). Some unanticipated consequences of organizational restructuring Academy of Management Review 25(4): 735–752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller D., Friesen P. H. (1984). Organizations: A quantum view Prentice Hall, Engelwood Cliffs, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadler D. A. (1981). Managing organizational change: An integrative perspective The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 17(2): 191–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadler D. A., Tushman M. L. (1989). Leadership for organizational change. In: Mohrman A. M., Mohrman S. A., Ledford G. E., Cummings T. G., Lawler Associates E. E. (eds), Large-scale organizational change. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadler D. A., Tushman M. L. (1995). Types of organizational change: From incremental improvement to discontinuous transformation In: Nadler D. A., Shaw R. B., Walton A. E., (eds), Discontinuous change: Leading organizational transformation. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp. 14–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson A., Cooper C. L., Jackson P. R. (1995). Uncertainty amidst change: The impact of privatization on employee job satisfaction and well-being Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 68(1): 57–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman K. L. (1999). Radical organizational change: The role of starting conditions, competition, and leaders Organization Development Journal 17(4): 9–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasmore W. A., Fagans M. R. (1992). Participation, individual development, and organizational change: A review and synthesis Journal of Management 18(2): 375–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piderit S. K. (2000). Rethinking resistance and recognizing ambivalence: A multidimensional view of attitudes toward an organizational change Academy of Management Review 25(4): 783–794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff P. M., Organ D. M. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects Journal of Management 12(4): 531–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollard T. M. (2001). Changes in mental well-being, blood pressure and total cholesterol levels during workplace reorganization: The impact of uncertainty Work and Stress 15(1): 14–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porras J. I., Robertson P. J. (1992). Organizational development: Theory, practice and research. In: Dunnette M. D., Hough L. M., (eds), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology. Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA, pp. 719–822

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades L., Eisenberger R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature Journal of Applied Psychology 87(4): 698–714

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades L., Eisenberger R., Armeli S. (2001). Affective commitment to the organization: The contribution of perceived organizational support Journal of Applied Psychology 86(5): 825–836

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rush, M. C., Schoel, W. A., & Barnard, S. M. (1995). Psychological resiliency in the public sector: “Hardiness” and pressure for change. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 46, 17-39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheck C. L., Kinicki A. J. (2000). Identifying the antecedents of coping with an organizational acquisition: A structural assessment Journal of Organizational Behavior 21: 627–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schein E. H. (1996). Kurt Lewin’s change theory in the field and in the classroom: Notes towards a model of managed learning Systems Practice 9(1): 27–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider B., Bowen D. E. (1993). The service organization: Human resource management is crucial Organizational Dynamics 23: 17–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuler R. S. (1980). A role and expectancy perception model of participation in decision making Academy of Management Journal 23(2): 331–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwoerer C. E. & Rosen B. (1992). The influence of self-efficacy, age, and gender on career management strategies. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Nevada, Las Vegas

  • Spector M. D., Jones G. E. (2004). Trust in the workplace: Factors affecting trust formation between team members The Journal of Social Psychology 144(3): 311–321

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tagliaferri L. E. (1991). Total quality management survey Pfeffer & Company, Erlanger, KY

    Google Scholar 

  • Terry D. J., Callan V. C. (1997). Employee adjustment to large-scale organisational change Australian Psychologist 32(3): 203–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terry D. J., Jimmieson N. L. (1999). Work control and employee well-being: A decade review In: Cooper C. L., Robertson I. T., (eds), International review of industrial and organizational psychology. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, New York, pp. 95–148 Vol. 14

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner J. A. (1994). Participation’s effects on performance and satisfaction: A reconsideration of research evidence Academy of Management Review 19: 312–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wanberg C. R., Banas J. T. (2000). Predictors and outcomes of openness to changes in a reorganizing workplace Journal of Applied Psychology 85(1): 132–142

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

    Alannah E. Rafferty & Roland H. Simons

Authors
  1. Alannah E. Rafferty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roland H. Simons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alannah E. Rafferty.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rafferty, A.E., Simons, R.H. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ANTECEDENTS OF READINESS FOR FINE-TUNING AND CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION CHANGES. J Bus Psychol 20, 325–350 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-005-9013-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-005-9013-2

KEY WORDS:

Search

Navigation