Investigating Turnover Intentions During Organizational Change: The Role of Negative Appraisals, Psychological Contract Violation, and Resistance to Change
Abstract
COVID-19 has been regarded as environmental disruption that catalyzed a multitude of organizational changes in nonprofit organizations. This study centers on the nonprofit workers’ experience of change. Specifically, this study investigates to what extent and how negative appraisals in the midst of the pandemic are related to intentions to leave the organization about a year after the start of the pandemic, at a point in time when the initial shock had settled into a sense of the “new normal.” Findings indicate that harm but not threat appraisals predict psychological contract violation and that psychological contract violation is related to behavioral resistance to change as well as intentions to leave. Unexpectedly, neither threat appraisal nor resistance to change was related to turnover intentions. We discuss contributions to theory, research, and practice.
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Biographies
Marlene Walk is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Economics at the University of Freiburg (Germany). Her research interests are human resource management, organizational behavior and change, as well as volunteers. Marlene received her Ph.D. from the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
Amanda J. Stewart is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University in the Department of Public Administration. Her research includes nonprofit leadership continuity, career development, and organizational capacity. Amanda received her Ph.D. in publication administration from American University.
Kerry Kuenzi is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Her research centers on nonprofit executive careers, nonprofit education, and collaboration and networks. Kerry received her Ph.D. in public affairs from the University of Colorado, Denver.
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