Cognitive beliefs and positive emotions about change: Relationships with employee change readiness and change-supportive behaviors
Abstract
Research has focused on individuals’ beliefs about change when considering the antecedents of employee change readiness. Our study is unique as we identify beliefs and positive emotions about change as proximal antecedents of change readiness. In Study 1, a cross-sectional study of 252 government workers, measures of change beliefs, positive emotions about change and change readiness were developed and tested. Study 1 examined relationships between these constructs. In Study 2, we collected data at two time points separated by 3 months from 199 employees. Study 2 examined the direct and indirect relationships among change beliefs, positive emotions about change, change readiness and change-supportive behaviors. Structural equation modeling results provided support for the validity of our measures. In both studies, cognitive beliefs about change and positive emotions about change were significantly associated with change readiness. Study 2 provided support for indirect and direct relationships between change beliefs and positive emotions and change behaviors. An implication of this research is that failure to consider positive emotions about change means ignoring a key source of variation in change readiness. Practically, results suggest a need to develop both change beliefs and positive emotions about change to enhance employees’ change readiness and change-supportive behaviors.
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Biographies
Alannah E Rafferty is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior in the School of Employment Relations and Human Resources at Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Her research focuses on attitudes to organizational change, employees’ subjective responses to organizational change, stress and coping, and leadership (transformational leadership and abusive supervision). Alannah has published her research in Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Work & Stress and British Journal of Management. [Email: [email protected]]
Amirali Minbashian is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior in the School of Management at UNSW Business School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. His research focuses on the effects of personality and individual differences, emotions, motivation and time-varying factors (such as experience and ageing) on performance at work. He has published research on these topics in a range of applied psychology and management journals, including Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Organizational Research Methods, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Applied Psychology: An International Review and Australian Journal of Management. [Email: [email protected]]
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