The effects of transformational leadership on the outcomes of specific change initiatives are not well understood. Conversely, organizational change studies have examined leader behaviors during specific change implementations yet have failed to link these to broader leadership theories. In this study, the authors investigate the relationship between transformational and change leadership and followers' commitment to a particular change initiative as a function of the personal impact of the changes. Transformational leadership was found to be more strongly related to followers' change commitment than change-specific leadership practices, especially when the change had significant personal impact. For leaders who were not viewed as transformational, good change-management practices were found to be associated with higher levels of change commitment.
Organizations are concerned with the impact organizational change can have on both individuals' response to the change itself and their ongoing relationship with the organization. This study investigated how organizational changes in 32 different organizations (public and private) affected individuals' commitment to the specific change and their broader commitment to the organization. The results indicate that both types of commitment may be best understood in terms of a 3‐way interaction between the overall favorableness (positive/negative) of the change for the work unit members, the extent of the change in the work unit, and the impact of the change on the individual's job. In addition, the fairness of the change process was found to interact with the effects of work unit change on organizational commitment. The implications of these results for future research and practice are discussed.
Organizational behavior literature has not typically viewed person-environment (P-E) fit as an outcome of change. Whereas the study of antecedents to employees' fit with their work environment has largely been restricted to the selection and socialization of newcomers, this study examines individuals' perceptions of changes in P-E fit in relation to organizational changes occurring in 34 different organizational work units. Results suggest that the relationships between organizational change and perceived changes in fit are best understood as interactions between the characteristics of the change process, the extent of change, and individual differences. Both age and mastery orientation related to perceived changes in P-E fit through interactions with aspects of the change process.
The extent to which attitudes toward organizational changes may be affected by contextual (other changes going on) and personal (self-efficacy) factors was investigated with a multilevel design involving 25 different changes. Even after aspects of the change itself were controlled, the interaction between the context and the individual difference explained significant variance in attitudes toward those specific changes. The positive relationship between self-efficacy and commitment to the change was stronger as the amount of simultaneous and overlapping change in the surroundings increased. The implications for research and practice are discussed.
Pediatric cancer patients encounter painful medical procedures on a routine basis. Extreme anticipatory anxiety and behavioral distress are exhibited by these children prior to and during the procedures. This study investigated the relationship between children's distress and a number of psychosocial, medical, and demographic variables. Results indicated that the observation scale used to measure distress was a reliable, valid instrument. The three variables most highly predictive of children's distress included the age of the child, the number of previous medical procedures experienced by the child, and parental anxiety in relation to the medical procedures. A number of other significant variables are discussed and implications for intervention are reviewed.Painful medial procedures must be administered during the course of diagnosis and treatment of the pediatric cancer patient, which exacerbate the emotional and physical distress inherent in the disease itself. Of these procedures, bone marrow aspirations are reported by both parents and their parents to be the most painful and traumatic events in the entire therapeutic regimen. Bone marrow aspirations are diagnostic procedures in which a needle is inserted into the bone and marrow is extracted to determine the presence or absence of cancer cells.The anxiety produced by anticipation of these procedures can be so severe that patients (and sometimes parents) may report symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, and insomnia days before procedures are scheduled.
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