Attributes of the Organizational Change and Its Influence on Attitudes Toward Organizational Change and Well-Being at Work: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This study investigates the role of attributes of organizational change and attitudes toward change as antecedents of well-being at work and how these antecedents vary over the course of an organizational change. Drawing on cognitive theories (a) organization change planning, (b) perceived risk level, and (c) attitudes toward organizational change are examined as antecedents. Attitudes toward change have also been tested as mediators in the relationship between change attributes and well-being. Hypotheses are tested in a three-wave study of 505, 390, and 348 respondents in each wave, involving employees from a Brazilian public organization undergoing a strategic reorientation toward continuous improvement. Attitudes toward change had stable positive effects in each wave, conducted 12, 24, and 48 months after the change was initiated. This study corroborates the findings that uncertainty and risk contribute to the formation of negative cognitions and feelings throughout the process of organizational change but do not necessarily result in discomfort in relation to the work and the organization. The effects of both planning for the change and the perceived risk level were not moderated by time. The results of this study do not support the idea of gradual shifts and discontinuous information processing in employee’s cognitive models. On the contrary, it is possible to conclude that perceptions have been confirmed over time. Implications for managing employee reactions and well-being in different phases of change are discussed.