Sjoerd van der Smissen, René Schalk and Charissa Freese
This study aims to examine how organizational change and attitude towards change affects the fulfillment of the psychological contract. The influence of type of change, impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how organizational change and attitude towards change affects the fulfillment of the psychological contract. The influence of type of change, impact of change, former change experiences and frequency of change on fulfillment of the psychological contract is assessed, as well as the influence on the employee's attitude towards change.
Design/methodology/approach
Regression analyses were carried out to test the effects of the change antecedents and the attitude towards change on the fulfillment of the psychological contract and to test the effects of the change determinants on the attitude towards change. The data used in this study are from 161 respondents working for different organizations who completed an online questionnaire.
Findings
The results show that type of change, impact and former experience with organizational change influence attitude towards change. With respect to the fulfillment of the psychological contract, only frequency, former experiences and the attitude towards change had an impact.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation is the cross-sectional design of the study. A recommendation for future research is to further explore the results by using case studies or longitudinal research.
Practical implications
This study contributes to managers', HR professionals' and change professionals' understanding of the change factors that have the highest impact for employees.
Originality/value
This study highlights the effects of organizational changes on the psychological contract and includes the role of attitude towards change. Empirical research in this area is scarce.
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Judith Prantl, Susanne Freund and Elisabeth Kals
In recent decades, higher education institutes (HEIs) have come under pressure to cooperate with society as a whole. This shift towards an increased focus on third mission and…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent decades, higher education institutes (HEIs) have come under pressure to cooperate with society as a whole. This shift towards an increased focus on third mission and social innovation activities implies a substantial organizational change process for many HEIs, as they need to initiate both structural and cultural changes. This paper provides guidance for such change processes by examining the views and attitudes of academic and administrative staff, as well as students within the HEIs over a period in which the HEIs increase their focus on social innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a longitudinal quantitative approach consisting of a survey of administrative and academic staff, as well as students at two German HEIs. The authors studied members’ attitudes towards third mission and social innovation activities (N = 3470).
Findings
Results suggest that the university members’ attitudes towards third mission and social innovation are positive but change to some extent over time. Different aspects shape the attitudes within the three groups (administrative staff, academic staff and students). Furthermore, attitudes vary among academic employees who are involved in the process and those who are not.
Practical implications
The findings provide useful information for university managers and anyone aiming to promote social innovation at HEIs.
Originality/value
The study examines how attitudes of university members change whenever social innovation takes place at HEIs. This study includes data on the participation and empowerment of all HEI members in view of the important role that HEIs can play as supporters of social innovation.
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Raj Singh Badhesha, James M. Schmidtke, Anne Cummings and Scott D. Moore
This paper aims to examine the effects of watching a video providing knowledge about either a Sikh student or an older student on participants' knowledge about each particular…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effects of watching a video providing knowledge about either a Sikh student or an older student on participants' knowledge about each particular group, their attitudes towards that group.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a pre‐post experimental design and examined the effects of diversity awareness training using a short web‐based video.
Findings
Results indicated that watching a Sikh video significantly increased knowledge of Sikhs and had a marginally significant effect on improving attitudes toward that target group. Additionally, White participants experienced a greater positive attitude change towards Sikhs than non‐White participants. There were no significant effects on knowledge or attitude change for older individuals. However, watching either video was associated with a decline in participants' multiculturalism attitudes.
Research limitations/implications
The results suggest that further work is needed on the effects of specifically focused diversity training as well as more general multicultural training. The study only examined short‐term change in participants' knowledge and attitudes: more research is needed to examine the long‐term effects of diversity training.
Practical implications
The results indicate that organizations should perform some type of need assessment prior to conducting diversity training because narrowly focused diversity training is not likely to have generalized effects.
Originality/value
The paper should interest academics and practitioners since there is very little research that has examined how diversity training works and whether it is effective.
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Maria Vakola and Ioannis Nikolaou
Occupational stress and organizational change are now widely accepted as two major issues in organizational life. The current study explores the linkage between employees’…
Abstract
Purpose
Occupational stress and organizational change are now widely accepted as two major issues in organizational life. The current study explores the linkage between employees’ attitudes towards organizational change and two of the most significant constructs in organizational behaviour; occupational stress and organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 292 participants completed ASSET, a new “Organizational Screening Tool”, which, among other things, measures workplace stress and organizational commitment and a measure assessing attitudes towards organizational change.
Findings
The results were in the expected direction showing negative correlations between occupational stressors and attitudes to change, indicating that highly stressed individuals demonstrate decreased commitment and increased reluctance to accept organizational change interventions. The most significant impact on attitudes to change was coming from bad work relationships emphasizing the importance of that occupational stressor on employees’ attitudes towards change. The results did not support the role of organizational commitment as a moderator in the relationship between occupational stress and attitudes to change.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of the research design could be that all measures originated from the same source resulting in possible contamination from common method variance. Further, the cross‐sectional research design adopted in the present study, as opposed to a longitudinal or experimental methodology, does not allow affirmative causal explanations.
Originality/value
The present study showed that good and effective work relationships are very important in organizational change. Handling conflicts, building supportive work relationships and communicating effectively all contribute to the formulation of positive attitudes to change and, therefore, to the success of a change programme. In addition, organizations need to examine the extra workload which organizational change may create. Increase in workload is not only easily attributable to the change but it also makes change unattractive and problematic leading to non‐supportive attitudes.
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The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the impact of organizational culture differences on post-acquisition performance, and second, to provide deeper…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the impact of organizational culture differences on post-acquisition performance, and second, to provide deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which the impact occurs introducing into the analysis the mediating effect of employee attitudes.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample is based on domestic and international acquisitions in Serbia carried out during the period 2002-2011. Linear regression models were fitted according to Baron and Kenny procedures for mediation analysis. Statistical significance of the indirect or mediated effect is calculated by using the bootstrap test.
Findings
The results show that organizational culture differences positively impact post-acquisition performance. Moreover, employee attitudes are found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between culture differences and post-acquisition performance.
Practical implications
The presented results are especially useful for managers involved in the processes of acquisitions indicating that culture differences, if properly understood and managed, can be a source of value creation. Further, the results of the analysis indicate that managers must monitor and evaluate employee attitudes towards changes and help employees to face the challenges of change, thereby contributing the improvement of post-acquisition performance.
Originality/value
Previous research of organizational culture differences in transitional economies is limited, and this study is the first empirical investigation of the impact of organizational culture differences on post-acquisition performance in Serbia. This paper aids researchers and practitioners to identify the specific cultural challenges in the context of transitional economies.
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Aukse Endriulaitiene, Aurelija Stelmokiene, Giedre Geneviciute-Janoniene, Loreta Gustainiene, Gabija Jarasiunaite and Loreta Buksnyte-Marmiene
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived leadership effectiveness is related to staff members’ attitudes towards development of elderly care organizations in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived leadership effectiveness is related to staff members’ attitudes towards development of elderly care organizations in private and public institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted using self-report questionnaire that contained Modified Leadership Effectiveness Questionnaire (Heck et al., 2000), the scale of attitude towards change from Preziosi’s Organizational Diagnosis Model (1980) and organizational development intentions measure developed for the study. The respondents were 510 Lithuanian social workers and other staff members employed in different public and private elderly care organizations.
Findings
The results revealed that perceived higher leadership effectiveness was associated with more positive employees’ judgements on organization’s readiness to change both in private and public sector elderly care organizations. But perceived leadership effectiveness was not associated with staff members’ intentions to change. Also it was found that different models for private and public sector that explained the importance of particular leadership behaviours in the prediction of employees’ judgements on organizational change and intentions to change were valid.
Originality/value
This study may add to further broaden knowledge on attitudes of staff members towards development of elderly care organization and the role of leadership effectiveness taking into account the type of organization.
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The subject of part‐time work is one which has become increasingly important in industrialised economies where it accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of total…
Abstract
The subject of part‐time work is one which has become increasingly important in industrialised economies where it accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of total employment. It is estimated that in 1970, average annual hours worked per employee amounted to only 60% of those for 1870. Two major factors are attributed to explaining the underlying trend towards a reduction in working time: (a) the increase in the number of voluntary part‐time employees and (b) the decrease in average annual number of days worked per employee (Kok and de Neubourg, 1986). The authors noted that the growth rate of part‐time employment in many countries was greater than the corresponding rate of growth in full‐time employment.
Gordon Wills, Sherril H. Kennedy, John Cheese and Angela Rushton
To achieve a full understanding of the role ofmarketing from plan to profit requires a knowledgeof the basic building blocks. This textbookintroduces the key concepts in the art…
Abstract
To achieve a full understanding of the role of marketing from plan to profit requires a knowledge of the basic building blocks. This textbook introduces the key concepts in the art or science of marketing to practising managers. Understanding your customers and consumers, the 4 Ps (Product, Place, Price and Promotion) provides the basic tools for effective marketing. Deploying your resources and informing your managerial decision making is dealt with in Unit VII introducing marketing intelligence, competition, budgeting and organisational issues. The logical conclusion of this effort is achieving sales and the particular techniques involved are explored in the final section.
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This research was carried out to assess the recycling behaviour of university students, as they are the future consumers of the country.
Abstract
Purpose
This research was carried out to assess the recycling behaviour of university students, as they are the future consumers of the country.
Design/methodology/approach
A model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action was developed and tested using the variance‐based structural equation modelling technique of Partial Least Square (PLS).
Findings
The findings indicate that the attitude towards recycling is significantly influenced by perceived value, awareness and actual gains perceived by the consumers. Recycling behaviour was significantly influenced by resistance to change and attitude towards recycling.
Originality/value
The paper enables the policy makers target these variables in their future action plans in order to enhance recycling behaviour.
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Sefer Yilmaz, Huseyin Ozgen and Recai Akyel
The main purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of how managerial methods can be used during the change process to direct employees' attitudes positively towards…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of how managerial methods can be used during the change process to direct employees' attitudes positively towards change. This study also aims to provide considerable implications for the homeland security managers suitable for the applications on the area of homeland security. Paying requisite attention to the attitudes of employees towards change and careful selection of change management methods is considered critical for determining the ultimate success.
Design/methodology/approach
The data used in this study were obtained by the questionnaire survey method, analyzed by using a statistics software program, and main findings of the study were evaluated. The last section of this study has a discussion and a conclusion which includes specific evaluations and recommendations regarding the homeland security organizations and their practices in Turkey. Due to the large data set available, only the main findings are presented in this paper.
Findings
Findings suggest that the methods used, such as informing the employees about what is going on regarding change, consulting them and maintaining participation of the employees to the change process, have a positive impact on the attitudes of security managers towards change. This means that if an organization complies with the advice of the change literature asserting that the employees should be informed of, consulted and participate in the change from the outset of the process, the employees would probably commit themselves to change rather than resisting it.
Originality/value
The topic of this study is believed to be of vital importance in the area of homeland security organizations of Turkey and other countries in the context of change management for the sake of success in change initiatives. It is hoped that this study will make contributions to the existent literature in that it combines two disciplines, namely, change management and homeland security management, in just one case study. This combination would add considerable insights into the success and/or failure of the change initiatives launched in the organizations of homeland security generally and in Turkey specifically.