Technological Change and Employee Motivation in a Telecom Operations Team

Some managers view innovative product development and convenient service delivery as necessary to business survival. However, unmotivated employees might negate any gains from the use of innovation. The purpose of this correlational study, grounded in diffusion of innovation theory, was to assess the relationship between creativity and support for innovation, resistance to change, and organizational commitment and employee motivation. A random sample of 81 information technology (IT) professionals from telecom service centers completed an online survey. Simultaneous multiple linear regression was the statistical technique used to analyze these data. The results indicated a poor model with low R2 to significantly predicted employee motivation, F (3, 78) = 5.481, p \u3c .002, R2 = .174. In the final model, support for creativity and innovation were significant contributors to employees\u27 motivation. Resistance to change was not a significant predictor to employees\u27 motivation. Although the p-value was significant, the R2 was low and indicated a poor model fit. Future researchers might consider incorporating additional variables to make the model more useful. The implications for positive social change include the potential to enhance telecom managers\u27 understanding of the factors that affect employee motivation; however, managers should consider incorporating additional variables specific to the work environment. Ultimately, a manager\u27s ability to motivate workers is vital for implementing change, particularly when the introduction of technological innovation frequently occurs within an industry.