Chapter One -- Introduction

Chapter One -- Introduction

1.0 Introduction

In today’s business environment, organisations are required to endure changes in order to remain competitive (Smith, 2005). Consequently, organisational change has been a subject of research for ongoing years; moreover, there has been growing concern on how to manage change, as well as the ‘people’ in the process (Armenakis et al, 2007; Oakland & Tanner, 2007). Research highlights the importance of employees in organisational change, as they are considered a crucial factor in achieving change as well as an obstacle to change (Smith, 2005). It is generally accepted that many organisational change processes are unsuccessful due to failing to consider the important human dimension during the process (Bovey and Hede, 2001; Elving, 2005; Levine, 1997). Commonly there is a tendency in organisations to ignore the effects that change may have on individuals, thus resulting in ineffective change implementation due to employees resisting to change (Smith, 2006; Val & Fuentes, 2003). Therefore, taking all arguments into account it appears that a broader analysis of the ‘effects of organisational change on employees’ is required for this study, as well as considering the factors that assist employees during the change process and the role of the manager. Taking these factors into consideration will help to understand employees’ perception and attitudes towards change along with identifying measures for an effective change implementation.

Consequently, the following question is used to provide a direction for this study: “What are the effects of organisational change on employees and the role of the manager?” The research question aims to identify the factors in an effective change implementation. Furthermore, the research attempts to understand what employees require to enable an effective change process. The research will be guided by the research question and proposed hypotheses after reviewing the literature.

The findings of the research is obtained through the use of a mixed method approach, that is, the use of quantitative research to establish employees’ perceptions on organisational change by the use of questionnaires, and qualitative research to understand the role of the manager in this process by the use of focus groups. Subsequently, triangulation of the data is then formulated.

This study is achieved in several sections. Firstly, the study commences with a literature review focusing on the topic followed by the methodological processes employed in this study along with providing a justification for its use as well as acknowledging the limitations. The later chapter details the findings of the research, whilst recognising the significant trends in the results followed by discussions of the overall findings, as well as acknowledging the limitations of the study and scope for future research, before coming to a viable conclusion.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE- INTRODUCTION                                                   

1.0 Introduction                                                                                  

CHAPTER TWO- LITERATURE REVIEW                                       

2.0 Introduction
2.1 Change Defined
2.2 Factors Influencing Change
2.2.1 External Factors
2.2.2 Internal Factors
2.3 Resistance to Change
2.4 Managing Resistance and Change
2.5 Research Model
2.6 Conclusion

CHAPTER THREE- METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Paradigm

• Pragmatic Approach

3.2 Research Design
3.2.1 Quantitative Research
3.2.2 Qualitative Research
3.3 Mixed Method Approach- Triangulation of the Data
3.4 Research Methods

• Quantitative Method- Questionnaires
• Pilot Study of the Questionnaire
• Qualitative Method- Focus Groups

3.5 Sample and Sample Size
3.6 Methodological Soundness
3.7 Ethical Considerations
3.8 Summary
3.9 Conclusions

CHAPTER FOUR- FINDINGS

4.0 Introduction
4.1 Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis

• Data Collection Instruments
• Sample Characteristics

4.1.1 Main Findings

• Correlations for all Employees
• Differences based on Gender
• Differences based on Length of Service
• Testing the Hypotheses

4.2 Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

• Data Collection Instruments
• Sample Characteristics

4.2.1 Main Findings

• Management Responsibilities
• Organisational Measures and Communication
• Resistance
• Managers Communication to Employees and Procedures to Combat Challenges
• Observation

4.3 Conclusion

CHAPTER FIVE- DISCUSSION

5.0 Introduction
5.1 Addressing the Research Question and Hypotheses
5.2 Discussion of Overall Results
5.2.1 Key Findings 1: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors
5.2.2 Key Findings 2: Consistent High Correlations between Company Efforts and Employee Participation
5.2.3 Key Findings 3: Consistent High Correlations between Organisational Learning and Employee Participation and Confidence
5.2.4 Key Findings 4: Consistent High Correlations between Company Efforts and the Position of the Employee
5.2.5 Key Findings 5: Differences within Demographic Groups

• Differences between Male and Female
• Differences between Employees’ Length of Service

5.2.6 Key Findings 6: The Role of the Manager in the Change Process
5.3 Summary of the Findings
5.4 Limitations of the Study
5.5 Future Research
5.6 Conclusion

• Purpose of Research
• Addressing the Research Question and Testing the Hypotheses
• Key Findings

REFERENCES

APPENDIX 1- Letter to New Look Retailers

APPENDIX 2- Approval Letter from New Look Retailers

APPENDIX 3- Pilot Study Questionnaire

APPENDIX 4- Questionnaire Consent Form

APPENDIX 5- Questionnaire

APPENDIX 6- Focus Group Questions

APPENDIX 7- Correlation Tables

APPENDIX 8- Qualitative Data Gathering

The Effects of changes On An Organization

Abstract

The increasing attention from recent research on the employees’ resistance to change indicates the critical factor of employees’ perceptions during the implementation of organisational change. Thus, a broader analysis of the ‘effects on employees’ is required, whilst taking into consideration the important elements that enable an effective change implementation. The justification of the study is confirmed by the lack of empirical research assumed to establish employees’ perception of the factors that assist during the change process.
The study focuses on the research question; “What are the effects of organisational change on employees and the role of the manager?” The exploratory research aimed to address the gaps in the literature considering the move to the retail industry. The research considered what employees require to reduce uncertainty during organisational change by analysing the variables that enable incorporation to change implementation. Thus, in order to address the research question and test the hypotheses, a pragmatic approach was adopted using a mixed method approach to understand how employees perceive organisational change. Firstly, quantitative questionnaires were obtained to identify employees’ perceptions, as well as identifying the role of the manager in this process by means of qualitative focus groups. This provided a triangulation of the data to test the hypotheses and research question presenting soundness of the research.
The triangulation of the data established six main findings. Key findings of the research are the distinct variables of enablers for an effective change implementation considering the effects on employees during this process. The two distinct variables are recognised as intrinsic and extrinsic; in terms of the intrinsic measures the employees are able to employ control over the variables related to change (i.e. confidence and consistency). Conversely, the measures that employees are not able to control are considered as extrinsic (i.e. company efforts and company measures). Consequently, the variables suggest what organisations need to consider how they can facilitate employee empowerment, confidence, and commitment along with a sense of belonging.
The study suggests that attention needs to be given to organisational efforts and learning, which meets the needs of employees during the change process, as well as tailoring the needs for specific groups (demographic groups), in order to increase employee confidence through effective communication that minimises resistance.