A Longitudinal Study of Employee Adaptation to Organizational Change: The Role of Change-Related Information and Change-Related Self-Efficacy.

TLDR

The study examined whether information, self‑efficacy, and stressors predict employees’ adjustment to organizational change over time, measuring well‑being, client engagement, and job satisfaction at a 2‑year follow‑up. A longitudinal sample of 589 government employees undergoing an 18‑month regionalization process was assessed for psychological well‑being, client engagement, and job satisfaction at baseline and after two years. Information indirectly improved well‑being, engagement, and satisfaction through increased self‑efficacy; self‑efficacy reduced stress appraisals and boosted engagement, and Time‑1 self‑efficacy buffered stress and predicted higher job satisfaction at Time‑2.

Abstract

This study examined the role of information, efficacy, and 3 stressors in predicting adjustment to organizational change. Participants were 589 government employees undergoing an 18-month process of regionalization. To examine if the predictor variables had long-term effects on adjustment, the authors assessed psychological well-being, client engagement, and job satisfaction again at a 2-year follow-up. At Time 1, there was evidence to suggest that information was indirectly related to psychological well-being, client engagement, and job satisfaction, via its positive relationship to efficacy. There also was evidence to suggest that efficacy was related to reduced stress appraisals, thereby heightening client engagement. Last, there was consistent support for the stress-buffering role of Time 1 self-efficacy in the prediction of Time 2 job satisfaction.