Hubert S. Feild

Readiness for Organizational Change The Systematic Development of a Scale

Using a systematic item-development framework as a guide (i.e., item development, questionnaire administration, item reduction, scale evaluation, and replication), this article discusses the development and evaluation of an instrument that can be used to gauge readiness for organizational change at an individual level. In all, more than 900 organizational members from the public and private sector participated in the different phases of study, with the questionnaire being tested in two separate organizations. The results suggest that readiness for change is a multidimensional construct influenced by beliefs among employees that (a) they are capable of implementing a proposed change (i.e., change-specific efficacy), (b) the proposed change is appropriate for the organization (i.e., appropriateness), (c) the leaders are committed to the proposed change (i.e., management support), and (d) the proposed change is beneficial to organizational members (i.e., personal valence).

Making change permanent A model for institutionalizing change interventions

Increasing global competition has accelerated the rate of organizational changes, such as reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing. As a result, organizational leaders find themselves faced with growing cynicism among employees that the current wave of changes is nothing more than the program of the month that will pass as those that preceded it. We address the issue of how to make changes permanent by providing a model developed from theory and research on organizational change and from successful practices implemented in numerous organizations worldwide. The model can serve at least three purposes. First, the model can assist change agents in planning for and assessing progress toward institutionalizing organizational change. Second, the model can help focus efforts of organizational scholars to study the change process. Third, the model offers the basis for hypothesis testing regarding the success or failure of change efforts.

Work centrality and work alienation: distinct aspects of a general commitment to work

The authors tested the proposition that identification with the work role and engagement in the work role constitute different aspects of a general commitment to work. Whereas work centrality (a strictly normative attitude) represents the extent to which a person identifies with the work role, work alienation (an affect-inclusive attitude) represents the extent to which a person is engaged in the work role. Predicated on these conceptual distinctions, the authors tested whether work centrality and work alienation exhibited theoretically-meaningful, differential correlations with six variables reflecting various work-related commitments. Using data from 349 employed individuals, the results of Hotelling–Williams t tests revealed that, compared to work alienation, work centrality had stronger correlations with Protestant work ethic and leisure ethic. In contrast, compared to work centrality, work alienation was more strongly correlated with work locus of control, work self-discipline, and affective organizational commitment. Work centrality and work alienation did not differ in their correlations with job involvement–role. Taken together, the results suggest that people who are highly committed to work not only identify with the work role, they are also engaged in the work role. Copyright

Justice, Cynicism, and Commitment: A Study of Important Organizational Change Variables

Recent theoretical and empirical studies have begun to address the commonality between organizational justice and organizational change efforts. In the present study, the authors build on these efforts by investigating the interactive effects of three forms of organizational justice on affective change commitment following the spin-off of a durable goods manufacturer from its parent corporation. Results indicated interactional justice interacted with both procedural and distributive justice. The authors also found procedural and interactional justice predicted organizational cynicism, and each form of justice interacted with cynicism to predict change commitment. Implications for organizations going through a change are discussed.

ON USE OF MULTIPLE TESTS OF SIGNIFICANCE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH

The evaluation of a series of statistical tests in psychological research is a common problem faced by many investigators. As the number of statistical tests increases, the probability of making a Type I error, i.e., of rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact it is true, increases as well. To help researchers evaluate their results, tables have been constructed which show the probability of obtaining k or more significant results due to chance in a series of K independent statistical tests. Recommendations are also given in order to avoid the problems of a Type I error.

Toward a Comprehensive Definition of Readiness for Change: A Review of Research and Instrumentation

Although the measurement of organizational readiness for change has been encouraged, measuring readiness for change poses a major empirical challenge. This is not because instruments designed to do this are not available. Researchers, consultants, and practitioners have published an array of instruments, suggesting that readiness can be measured from various perspectives and the concept of readiness has not been clearly defined. This paper reviews the history of the readiness concept, the perspectives used to assess readiness, and the psychometric properties of readiness instruments. Based on the review, an integrated definition of readiness is presented along with the implications of the definition for research and practice.

Has the Inverted-U Theory of Stress and Job Performance Had a Fair Test?

Even though researchers have been exploring the relation between stress and job performance for nearly a century, there remains controversy about whether the relation is best characterized as a negative linear relation, a positive linear relation, or as an inverted-U. The inverted-U theory has a great deal of intuitive appeal, yet research results weigh in favor of the negative linear relation. We reviewed studies performed over the past 25 years on the stress-performance relation. The results of our review identified three primary sets of problems with prior research: neglect of the understressed condition, negative connotation of stress, and contextual range restriction. All but one of the studies in our review were found to have at least one of these problems. Based on these results, we make suggestions for refinements in future research to provide a fair test of the inverted-U theory.

The Measurement Equivalence of Web-Based and Paper-and-Pencil Measures of Transformational Leadership A Multinational Test

Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was applied to the responses of 4, 909 employees of a multinational organization with locations in 50 countries to examine the measurement equivalence of otherwise identical Web-based and paper-and-pencil versions of 20 items comprising the transformational leadership component of Bass and Avolios Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The results supported configural, metric, scalar, measurement error, and relational equivalence across administration modes, indicating that the psychometric properties of the 20 items were similar whether administered as a paper-and-pencil or Web-based measure. Although caution is always advised when considering multiple modes of administration, the results suggest that there are minimal measurement differences for well-developed, psychometrically sound instruments applied using either a paper-and-pencil or an online format. Thus, the results open a methodological door for survey researchers wishing to (a) assess transformational leadership with a Web-based platform and (b) compare or combine responses collected with paper-and-pencil and Web-based applications.

The Relationship of Group Process Variables and Team Performance A Team-Level Analysis in a Field Setting

The efficacy of three group process variables—group potency, social cohesion, and team-member exchange—in explaining team performance was examined for 648 military officers working in 50 self-managed teams over a 5-week period. Team performance was assessed on two objective criteria (mental task performance and physical task performance) and one subjective criterion (commander team performance ratings). Each of the group process variables was related to at least one aspect of team performance. Of the three group process variables, group potency exhibited the greatest predictive efficacy as it explained unique variance in team performance over that accounted for by both social cohesion and team-member exchange.

The Relationship of Performance Appraisal System Characteristics to Verdicts in Selected Employment Discrimination Cases

This study examined empirically the effects of 13 appraisal system characteristics on the verdicts rendered in 66 employment discrimination cases. Of the 13 characteristics, 5 were found to differe...