Making Change Happen

Abstract

The success of organizational change increasingly depends on employees taking personal responsibility for change through effective adaptation to changing conditions and proactive anticipation of new challenges. In this study, we examined how work context features influence the change-oriented behaviors of adaptivity and proactivity in the workplace. We proposed several direct and moderating effects of job context variables on adaptive and proactive behaviors. We used a multilevel design and a unique data set with 621 special education teachers embedded in 157 urban public schools to test our hypotheses. Our analyses show that adaptive and proactive behaviors are distinct aspects of job performance during organizational change and that different job features have distinct direct and moderating effects on these behaviors. Our results provide insights into how leaders of change efforts can create a work context that encourages employees to actively participate in the change process.Keywords proactive behavior, adaptive behavior, organizational change, work context, job designIn the context of organizational change, some forms of work behavior are more effective and desirable (Howard, 1995). To cope with dynamic environments and enact change, organizations expect employees not only to work harder but also to engage in change-oriented behaviors, such as adapting to changing conditions and proactively Article

Building and Sustaining Proactive Behaviors: The Role of Adaptivity and Job Satisfaction

“…Although relevant studies are scarce, past research incorporating both adaptivity and proactivity has tended to emphasize the differences between these two types of behavior (Ghitulescu, 2013;Griffin et al, 2007Griffin et al, , 2010; MarquesBuilding and sustaining proactivity 15 Quinteiro & Curral, 2012). Our research suggests a more complementary role for each construct.…”

“…We suggested that successful organizational change requires the interplay of adaptive and proactive behavior (see also Ghitulescu, 2013). Our study has highlighted that adaptivity is related to future proactivity, but has not investigated the extent to which these two behaviors contribute to positive outcomes for the organization or the individual.…”

“…For example, employees can adapt to new technologies, respond positively to changing team memberships, and adjust to changes in the Building and sustaining proactivity 4 way the organization operates (Pulakos, Arad, Donovan, & Plamondon, 2000). Although adaptive behaviors have been distinguished from proactive behaviors and several studies have included both adaptivity and proactivity as outcome variables (e.g., Ghitulescu, 2013;Griffin, Parker, & Mason, 2010;Marques-Quinteiro & Curral, 2012), the relationship between the two related types of behavior has received little attention. The literature on proactivity emphasizes the superiority of proactivity over more "passive" responses to one's environment (Bateman & Crant, 1993).…”

“…Although organization member adaptivity and proactivity are distinct concepts, they are also related (Ghitulescu, 2013;Griffin et al, 2007;Griffin et al, 2010;MarquesQuinteiro & Curral, 2012). A dynamic organizational environment is likely to require the interplay of organization member adaptivity and proactivity; employees need to cope effectively with ongoing change beyond their control but also actively contribute to positive change in the organization (Ghitulescu, 2013).…”

“…A dynamic organizational environment is likely to require the interplay of organization member adaptivity and proactivity; employees need to cope effectively with ongoing change beyond their control but also actively contribute to positive change in the organization (Ghitulescu, 2013).…”