The six emotional stages of organizational change

Citation

Castillo, C., Fernandez, V., & Sallan, J. M. (2018). The six emotional stages of organizational change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31(3), 468–493.

doi: http://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-05-2016-0084
UPCommons: http://hdl.handle.net/2117/118032

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define a model that both describes the evolution of the emotional stages of individuals during perceived negative organizational change and explains the evolution of their behavioral patterns and the effects on relationships with social environments (family, friends, co-workers, supervisor and organization).

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodological research design was adopted, using individual interviews as the primary method of qualitative data collection. In total, 15 people who experienced perceived negative organizational changes participated in this research.

Findings
Through empirical qualitative research, an adapted Kübler (1969) model was used as a starting point. Co-occurrence analysis of the interviews led to the combination of the first two stages (denial and anger) of this model because they always appeared together. Two new stages (revising and deserting), based on the research of Schalk and Roe (2007), complete the model. Subsequently, the model comprised six emotional stages: denial and anger, bargaining, depression, revising, deserting and acceptance. The results show that individuals can move freely between the first four stages, but deserting and acceptance are always the final stages. Experiencing these emotional stages can influence the relationships between individuals and their social environments. During “denial and anger” and “bargaining,” the relationships with family, friends and co-workers improve; but during depression, the relationships with family and friends deteriorate, but because co-workers become much more important, those relationships improve. Relationships with supervisors deteriorate during denial and anger and depression but remain stable during bargaining.

Research limitations/implications
Time’s passage became an inconvenience accounted for during data collection. Over time, separate events can be confused, and nuances that were once determinants can be eliminated. Longitudinal studies at various stages of the change process would complement these results.

Practical implications
These results can guide managers in foreseeing and anticipating the actions that would reduce the emotional impact of organizational change and mitigate the impact of individuals’ negative emotions on the organization.

Originality/value
This paper extends the existing theory about the strategies of coping and organizational changes.

Change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior: Analysis of antecedents centered on regulatory theory focus at the workplace

Citation

Simo, Pep; Sallan, Jose M; Fernandez, Vicenc; Enache, Mihaela (2016). Change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior: Analysis of antecedents centered on regulatory theory focus at the workplace. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 24(2), 261-273.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-10-2014-0805

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this research is to empirically examine the relationships between the regulatory focus in the workplace and discretionary (change-oriented OCB) and non-discretionary (intentions related to performance at work) work outcomes, in an academic work setting.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a questionnaire conducted with 251 Spanish academic workers. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings – Results reveal the existence of positive relationships between promotion focus and two of the outcomes: change-oriented OCB and research-oriented performance-enhancement intention. On the other hand, prevention focus had only a significant relationship with teacher-oriented performance-enhancement intention.

Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this research are twofold: on the one hand, further research should overcome the methodological limitations related with data gathering, looking for third-party measures of performance and favoring longitudinal data collection designs. On the other hand, more research is needed on the malleability of regulatory focus, defining models in which prevention and promotion focus act as mediating variables.

Practical implications – Individuals with high levels of promotion focus will put their efforts on the tasks which are more valued in the processes of tenure, promotion and compensation. On the other hand, individuals with high levels of prevention focus will tend to meet the minimum of requirements and accomplish salient job duties. These implications can be taken into account when defining human resource policies, giving a high weight in the assessment of tenure and promotion programs to those tasks on which the organization wants their promotion focus individuals to center their attention.

Originality/value – This paper is one of the first efforts of validating the regulatory focus of work scale in organizational and academic contexts different from the initial validation study. The study also contributes to research on the antecedents of change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors, and defines new measures of intentions to perform in specific working activities.