The Relationship between Organizational Climate, Perceived Organizational Support, Organizational Commitment and Readiness for Change

Research proposes that organizational change is complex, however, there is a general consensus that readiness for change increases the likelihood of change success. There is less consensus and research on antecedents of readiness for change, demonstrating the need for more studies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how flexible organizational climates facilitate attitudes that lead to a more favorable view of change. Specifically, the study investigated whether two flexible climate types derived from the competing values framework, the human relations climate and the open systems climate, had an effect on readiness for change, mediated by perceived organizational support and organizational commitment. The theory of behind the proposed relationships is rooted in the social exchange theory, side-bet theory and theory of planned behavior. The theories suggest that organizational climate promotes perceived organizational support and organizational commitment, and that these constructs translate into positive attitudes and behavioral support for change through an exchange process and cost-benefit analysis that is thought to bring about readiness for change. The study was part of a larger collaboration project between the Norwegian Police University College and the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo. The sample consisted of employees in the Norwegian Police (N=622). The hypotheses were analyzed through structural equation modelling on already existing data material. The analysis revealed two partial mediations of the human relations climate and the open systems climate on readiness for change through organizational commitment. The proposed model indicated that the open systems climate and organizational commitment were particularly important in promoting readiness for change, contributing to a greater theoretical understanding of how readiness for change can be enhanced. The study also provides practical implications, suggesting that organizations that wish to successfully implement change, should create an environment of change that produces organizational commitment. The findings provide an appealing basis for future research