The Role of Perceived Organizational Support in Individual Change Readiness

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the role of perceived organizational support (POS) in individual change readiness. Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study tests the notion that POS is linked to readiness via trust in the organization. It also explores the nonlinear effects of POS on trust and its nonlinear indirect effects on change readiness. Data were collected from a sample of 154 employees of a restaurant chain undergoing a restructuring and the introduction of new leadership. The results show a direct effect of POS on change readiness, as well as indirect effects that become manifest through trust. Post-hoc analyses indicate that the POS–trust relationship is nonlinear, such that the relationship is attenuated at higher levels of POS, and reveal a nonlinear indirect effect on change readiness. Study findings suggest organizations could improve the likelihood of bringing about change by supporting employees before change initiatives are introduced, but that very high levels of support may yield diminishing returns.

KEYWORDS:

• Change readiness
• organizational change
• perceived organizational support
• social exchange
• trust

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Robert Gigliotti is an Assistant Professor of Management at St. Anslem College in Manchester, New Hampshire. His research focus is studying the interplay between identity and strategy work in organizations. Prior to entering academia, Robert was a consultant for over 10 years to Fortune 500 companies. Email: [email protected]

James Vardaman is an Associate Professor and the Nancy Allen Fellow of Management at Mississippi State University. His research focuses on the role of social networks, social influence and social comparisons in employee retention and responses to organizational change. He studies these topics primarily in healthcare organizations and family owned businesses. His work has been published in journals such as Organization Science, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Academy of Management Perspectives, Human Relations, Human Resource Management Review and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Professor Vardaman serves on Southern Management Association’s Board of Governors, and on the Editorial Review Boards of Journal of Management, Human Resource Management Review and Journal of Change Management. Email: [email protected]

David R. Marshall is an Assistant Professor of Management in the School of Business Administration at the University of Dayton. His research is focused on issues at the interface of organizations and entrepreneurship. Email: [email protected]

Katerina Gonzalez is a PhD candidate in the Narendra P. Loomba Department of Management at the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). Her current research interests span the areas of change management, dysfunctional leadership, and diversity/inclusion in organizations. Within these areas, she is interested in understanding how person-environment interactions contribute to individual attitudes, decision-making, and behaviours. Prior to entering academia, she worked in various sectors, including finance, non-profit, and advertising. Most recently she worked in Change Management at an investment bank. Email: [email protected]

ORCID

James Vardaman https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9259-7497

Katerina Gonzalez http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3892-7202