The relationship between readiness to change and work engagement: A case study in an accounting firm undergoing change
Orientation: Readiness to change is a critical element for the successful implementation of organisational change. Work engagement ensures that employees are committed to the organisations’ goals and is an important driver for organisational success. It is important that organisations sustain work e...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
AOSIS
2018-03-01
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Series: | SA Journal of Human Resource Management |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/855 |
Summary: | Orientation: Readiness to change is a critical element for the successful implementation of organisational change. Work engagement ensures that employees are committed to the organisations’ goals and is an important driver for organisational success. It is important that organisations sustain work engagement during organisational changes.
Research purpose: To investigate the relationship between readiness to change and work engagement within an accounting firm.
Motivation for the study: A change process can only be implemented successfully if there is a level of readiness to change. When readiness exists, resistance to change is reduced. Engaged employees remain enthusiastic about their organisation and choose to remain with the organisation. Change agents need to consider work engagement as an integral part of the change process, that is, before, during and after change has taken place. Work engagement and readiness to change are important elements for successful organisational change.
Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was utilised to collect the data. A convenience sample of employees and top management from the accounting firm (n = 340) were included. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, Pearson’s product-moment correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffé tests, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data.
Main findings: Results indicated a practical and statistically significant relationship between readiness to change and work engagement. High levels of work engagement will generate high levels of readiness to change. Further to this, readiness to change is influenced by employees’ work engagement and an organisation’s change processes.
Practical or managerial implications: An employee’s work engagement and an organisation’s processes of change influence an employee’s readiness to change. Therefore, organisations need to sustain work engagement and improve change processes.
Contribution: The contribution of this study is that it has provided new insights into the relationships between readiness to change and work engagement in a South African context. |
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ISSN: | 1683-7584 2071-078X |