Repetitive reorganizations, uncertainty and change fatigue

ABSTRACT

Repetitive reorganizations cause change fatigue, which creates employee resistance to further organizational change. This paper investigates how such fatigue arises. The results show that uncertainty and workload are mediating factors. The effect of change fatigue is not moderated by the perceived success of the prior reorganization, participation in that process, or leadership characteristics. It is only slightly moderated by the satisfaction of employees about the communication during the prior organizational reorganization.

IMPACT

Resistance against organizational reforms is commonly misunderstood. Whereas the academic literature suggests minimizing resistance by coercive means, eventually crushing it, this paper suggests something entirely different. Change fatigue as a form of resistance to upcoming reorganizations emerges from experiences with earlier reforms. Each time a new major organizational change is planned, change fatigue among personnel increases. Therefore, drastic changes should only be a last resort where no alternative solution can be employed. If reorganizations are necessary, the prime concern should be to take measures to avoid and reduce uncertainty among employees, preferably by good communication.

KEYWORDS:

• Change fatigue
• reorganizations
• transformative leadership
• uncertainty
• workload

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).