Bannon, Steven (2006) The Relationship Between Organizational Climate, Employee Commitment to Organizational Change and Behavioural Support for Change. Coursework Masters thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The aim of the proposed research was to examine the link between employees’ perceptions of their organizational climate within the Australian public sector and their reactions to change in the workplace. In an extension of the organizational health framework (Hart & Cooper, 2001), the study also focused on employee commitment to organizational change and its relationship to behavioural support for change initiatives. This was accomplished through two related studies, both involving data collected in organizational surveys. Study 1 reports archival data collected during 2003 from a Queensland government department (N = 342) while Study 2 also uses archival data collected during 2003, from a South Australian government agency (N = 53). To date, the relationship between individuals’ levels of commitment to organizational change and behavioural outcomes such as support for change and intention to leave have not been assessed. Based on previous research (e.g., Hart & Cotton, 2002; Muncer, Taylor, Green & McManus, 2001), it was hypothesized that: organizational climate would predict individuals’ levels of commitment to organizational change (Study 1), while additional measures of positive and negative work events would uniquely predict variance in individuals’ levels of commitment to organizational change over and above organizational climate (Study 2). It was also hypothesized that individuals’ levels of commitment to organizational change would predict behavioural support for change and intention to leave and also mediate the relationship between organizational climate and these latter variables. In study 1, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with each component of commitment to organizational change initially regressed on two components of organizational climate (that is, positive and negative work climate). Subsequently, behavioural support for organizational change was regressed on both commitment to organizational change (three components) and organizational climate (two components). The analyses in study 2 replicated these analyses while also regressing intention to leave on behavioural support for change, commitment to organizational change (three components), and organizational climate (two components). In addition, study 2 also investigated the comparative influence that organizational climate variables and positive and negative work events have on individual’s levels of commitment to organizational change, behavioural support for change, and intention to leave. The results are presented as path models that indicate the importance of two components of commitment to organizational change (affective and normative commitment) in predicting behavioural support for organizational change, which subsequently predicted intention to leave. The results also showed that positive work climate predicted individuals’ levels of commitment to organizational change (in studies 1 and 2) as well as behavioural support for change (in study 1) and intention to leave (in study 2). Negative work climate predicted individuals’ levels of commitment to organizational change (in study 1 only). In study 2, positive and negative work events were both predictors of continuance commitment to organizational change, while only negative work events predicted affective commitment to organizational change. Neither positive nor negative work events predicted normative commitment to organizational change. Positive work events was also a unique predictor of intention to leave. Future studies should assess the individual characteristics of the employees as well as commitment to organizational change and organizational climate. The implications of these findings are discussed with relevance to human resource management, organizational psychology and business organizations.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Coursework Masters) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Tony Machin |
| Qualification: | Professional Doctorate of Psychology (Sport and Exercise) |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Aug 2025 00:47 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Aug 2025 00:47 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52140 |
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