Organisational Behaviour

Employee perceptions of change

1

Running head: EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS OF CHANGE

Employee Perceptions of Organizational Change: Impact of Hierarchical Level

Dr. Liz Jones (Corresponding Author)
School of Psychology
Griffith University
170 Kessels Road, Nathan,
QLD 4111, Australia
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Bernadette Watson
School of Psychology
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
QLD 4072 Australia
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Elizabeth Hobman
School of Psychology
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
QLD 4072 Australia
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Prashant Bordia
School of Management
The University of South Australia
City West Campus, North Terrace, Adelaide
SA 5000, Australia
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Cindy Gallois
School of Psychology
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
QLD 4072 Australia
Tel: [phone]

Victor J Callan
UQ Business School
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
QLD 4072 Australia

Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

This research was supported by a Strategic Partnership with Industry- Research and Training grant from the Australian Research Council.

Employee perceptions of change

2

Abstract
Purpose: This study examined the influence of organizational level on employees’ perceptions and reactions to a complex organizational change involving proposed work force redesign, downsizing and a physical move to a new hospital.
Methodology/Approach: Participants included executives, supervisory and nonsupervisory staff in a major tertiary hospital. Recorded in-depth interviews were conducted with 61 employees about the positive and negative aspects of the change.
Findings: Twelve themes were identified

References: Ahmad, A. (2000), "Organizational commitment versus organizational change: A comparative study of blue-collar and white-collar employees of saree Amiot, C.E., Terry, D.J., Jimmieson, N.L. and Callan, V.J. (2006), "A longitudinal investigation of coping processes during a merger: Implications for job Armenakis, A., & Bedeian, A. (1999), "Organisational change: a review of theory and research in the 1990s", Journal of Management, Vol Armenakis, A. A., Harris, S. G. and Mossholder, K. W. (1993), "Creating readiness for organizational change", Human Relations, Vol Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1997, August), "The reactions of older female civil service employees to organizational downsizing", Paper presented at the annual Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1998), "The effect of gender and organizational level on how survivors appraise and cope with organizational downsizing", Journal of Armstrong-Stassen, M. (2005), "Coping with downsizing: a comparison of executive-level and middle managers", International Journal of Stress Management, Ashford, S. J. (1988), "Individual strategies for coping with stress during organizational transitions", The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol Beer, M. (1980), "Organisation change and development: A systems view", Scott Foresman, Glenview. Bordia, P., Hobman, E., Jones, E., Gallois, C. and Callan, V.J. (2004), "Uncertainty during organizational change: Types, consequences and management Brown, R., Condor, S., Mathews, A., Wade, G. and Williams, J. (1986), "Explaining intergroup differentiation in an industrial organization", Journal of Buono, J. and Bowditch, J. (1993), "The human side of mergers and acquisitions", Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco. Covin, T. J. and Kilmann, R. H. (1990), "Participant perceptions of positive and negative influences on large-scale change", Group & Organization Studies, Vol. Dent, E. G., & Goldberg, S. G. (1999), "Challenging "resistance to change"", Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol Dick, B. (1990), "Convergent Interviewing", Interchange, Brisbane. Dunphy, D., & Stace, D. (1990), "Under new management, Australian organisations in transition, McGraw Hill, New South Walesl. Driedger, S.M., Gallois, C., Sanders, B.C. and Santesso, N. (2006), "Finding common ground in team-based qualitative research using the convergent interviewing method", Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 16 No. 8, pp. 1145-1157. Eby, L. T., Adams, D. M., Russell, J. E. A. and Gaby, S. H. (2000), "Perceptions of organizational readiness for change: Factors related to employees ' Elsbach, K. D. and Kramer, R. M. (1996), "Members ' responses to organizational identity threats: Encountering and countering the business week Fulk, J., & Mani, S. (1986), "Distortion of communication in hierarchical relationships" Gardner, M. J., & Jones, E. (1999), "Problematic communication in the workplace: Beliefs of superiors and subordinates", International Journal of Applied George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2001), "Towards a process model of individual change in organizations", Human Relations, April, pp Gersick, C. J. G. (1991), "Revolutionary change theories: A multi-level exploration of the punctuated equilibrium paradigm", Academy of Management Gersick, C. J. G. (1994), "Pacing strategic change: The case of a new venture", Academy of Management Journal, Vo Goltz, S. M., & Hietapelto, A. (2002), "Using the operant and strategic contingencies models of power to understand resistance to change", Journal of Goodman, J. and Truss, C. (2004), "The medium and the message: communicating effectively during a major change initiative", Journal of Change Greenwood, R., & Hinings, C. R. (1996), "Understanding radical organisational change: Bringing together the old and the new institutionalism", Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21, pp. 1022-1054. Grice, T. A., Jones, E., Gallois, C., Paulsen, N. and Callan, V. J. (2006), "We do it but they don 't": Multiple categorizations and organizational communication", Gustafson, L. T., & Reger, R. K. (1995), "Using organisational identity to achieve stability and change in high velocity environments", Academy of Haugh, E. B. and Laschinger, H. S. (1996), "Power and opportunity in public health nursing work environments", Public Health Nursing, Vol