Change Leadership

Onyeneke, G. B., & Abe, T. (2021). The effect of change leadership on employee attitudinal support for planned organizational change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 34(2), 403-415. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2533533806?accountid=142373

The study by Onyeneke and Abe (2021) investigates the effect of change leadership on employee attitudinal support for planned organizational change. Here's a summary of the key points and findings from the research:

1. Background and Rationale:

   • Business environments are constantly changing, necessitating organizational responses to ensure continued performance and survival.

   • Planned changes are often necessary for organizations to adapt to environmental shifts, but they are rarely successful due to factors such as uncertainty and employee resistance.

2. Leadership Influence on Employee Attitudes:

   • Leaders play a crucial role in influencing employee attitudes and behaviors toward planned organizational change.

   • Previous studies have examined various dimensions of employee attitudes, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to change.

3. Change Leadership Behaviors:

   • Change leadership involves specific behaviors undertaken by leaders to implement planned changes effectively.

   • These behaviors include developing a clear change vision, encouraging participation, communicating persuasively, mobilizing support, showing concern for individuals, providing support, evaluating implementation, and consolidating success.

4. Relationship Between Change Leadership and Employee Support:

   • Research suggests that effective change leadership positively influences employee attitudes and support for change.

   • Leadership behaviors that promote the benefits of change, justify the need for it, encourage participation, and foster collaboration can elicit positive attitude responses from employees.

5. Study Design and Findings:

   • The study was conducted in Nigeria from 2018 to 2022, involving approximately 1500 senior staff members.

   • Workshop training was provided, and questionnaires were distributed to assess employee perceptions of change leadership and their support for planned change.

   • Structural equation modeling was used for analysis, revealing that change leadership behaviors significantly influenced employee cognitive appraisal and emotional responses to change.

   • Employee reactions to change, influenced by change leadership, mediate the relationship between leadership behaviors and behavioral intentions to support planned change.

6. Implications:

   • The study highlights the importance of change leadership in shaping employee attitudes and support for planned organizational change.

   • Leaders should emphasize both task-oriented and people-oriented behaviors to effectively manage change.

   • Practitioners and managers need to be aware of the role of employee attitudes in facilitating or hindering change initiatives, emphasizing the importance of addressing employee concerns and fostering positive attitudes toward change.

Overall, the research underscores the critical role of change leadership in driving successful organizational change by shaping employee attitudes and behaviors. It provides insights for practitioners and managers seeking to enhance employee support for planned change initiatives.

Walt, W. (2022). A role of leaders in change management. Global Media Journal, 20(47), 1-2. https://www.proquest.com/central/docview/2748199088/663BDF0BC2474531PQ/7?accountid=142373

Time of a lot of change in media with social media like Facebook and Instagram, taking priority over traditional news media . Big changes and progress can cause a lot of unrest with employees. when changes occurring employees want computerized and social commitment and one on one discussions.