Effects of top-down departmental and job change upon perceived employee behavior and attitudes: A natural field experiment

Abstract

Studied changes in departmental and job characteristics with 153 Ss over a 10-mo period in a government ministry undergoing top-down reorganization. Three waves of data were collected, 5 mo apart. Using a 3 × 3 multivariate ANOVA, the effects of positive change, no change, and negative changes in jobs and in departmental characteristics were examined. Contrary to the findings of a sizable number of correlational studies, but in agreement with 4 other longitudinal studies, changes in job characteristics were not related to changes in perceived effort, performance, and satisfaction (Job Descriptive Index). Job changes were, however, positively related to changes in job involvement. No changes were found in the strength of Ss' growth needs following changes in job characteristics. Analysis of departmental changes revealed more favorable work attitudes where no change occurred than in departments in which change was occurring (either supposedly "positive" or "negative" change.) A general decline over time was found in the favorableness of work attitudes. The latter 2 findings are interpreted as the consequences of top-down imposed change. (33 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)