Employees' perceptions of workplace change

Abstract

Change is endemic, but it creates fear in the workplace. In this study, five people from a health care organisation were interviewed to gain a better understanding of their concerns in the workplace. Each person regarded the effects of workplace change somewhat differently in variety and intensity but in general terms they all identified two major spheres of influence. Each sphere represents a complex dynamic relationship of several effects. The first, which is at an individual level, includes feelings and attitudes, and behavioural, psychological and social effects. The second, which is at an organisational level, includes culture, leadership, decision making and strategy implementation. Communication and education were viewed as key elements that facilitated the change process. In the surveyed organisation, service closure was viewed as the overriding concern that dominated most participants' perceptions of change. Additional research is required to ascertain if this model can be generalised to other workplace environments.