The Effects of Perceptions, Behaviors, and Managerial Relationship Style on the Implementation of Change Strategies within Organizations

Line-staff employees’ perceptions, behavioral attitudes, and relationships with their supervisors appear not to have been researched thoroughly enough in today’s business climate to either confirm or deny the impact they may have on the success or failure of planned organizational change efforts. An investigation into the recent literature on planned change has suggested that additional research in this area may prove beneficial when combined with the recent trend in re-engineering and restructuring of organizations. This is further enhanced by applying this concept to an empirical study of one of the nation’s largest employers; a quasi-public, non-profit government agency. Through the utilization of a conceptual research model consisting of two sets of specific variables, each either proven to influence employee behavior towards the change process or hypothesized to do so, a measure of response was developed and analyzed. The target population was represented by data collected through a questionnaire distributed to employees at various, select offices throughout the State of Connecticut. Although the results did not fully concur with the stated hypotheses, they did confirm specific dimensions which had been previously researched, and also supported a strong argument for the inclusion of additional distinct dimensions into the domain of factors able to influence organizational change efforts