Influence of participation in strategic change: resistance, organizational commitment and change goal achievement

TLDR

Participation in strategic change is often assumed to improve decision quality, affective responses, and implementation success, yet research has not conclusively validated these claims, especially given inconclusive findings from other contexts. Using data from a major strategic reorientation of a national telecommunications firm, the study assesses the outcomes of participation in strategic change. The study finds that participation strongly predicts goal achievement and organizational commitment while reducing resistance, and that these effects are moderated by cultural compatibility and recipients' personal goals. Keywords include strategic change, participation, and implementation of change; acknowledgements thank Kjell Grönhaug, Svein T. Johansen, and two anonymous reviewers.

Abstract

Abstract Participation in strategic change processes is frequently assumed to have a number of positive consequences for decision quality, affective responses to change and success of strategic change implementation. To date little research has successfully established the validity of these claims. The fact that results from research into the effects of participation in other contexts are inconclusive is adding to the ambiguity concerning participation's efficacy in a strategic change context. This article uses data from a major strategic reorientation of a national telecommunications firm in order to assess the outcomes of participation in strategic change. Findings indicate a strong positive relationship between participation and goal achievement and organizational commitment, and a strong negative relationship with resistance. The results also suggest that the effects of participation are moderated by the changes' compatibility with organizational culture and the personal goals of change recipients. Keywords: Strategic changeparticipationimplementation of change Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank Kjell Grönhaug, Svein T. Johansen and two anonymous reviewers of this journal for their thoughtful comments on earlier versions of this paper.