Antecedents and outcome of employee change fatigue and change cynicism

• Published in: Journal of organizational change management Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 158 - 179
• Main Authors: Ouedraogo, Noufou, Ouakouak, Mohammed Laid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 30-01-2021; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Cynicism; Employees; Fatigue; Hypotheses; Initiatives; Organizational change; Pessimism; Success; Logic of consequence; Logic of appropriateness; Cynicism about change; Organisational change success; Employee change fatigue; Organisational change
• ISSN: 0953-4814; 1758-7816
• DOI: 10.1108/JOCM-05-2019-0141

PurposeOrganisations implement changes either to address real business imperatives or to follow trends in their industries. But frequent changes in an organisation often lead to employee change fatigue and change cynicism. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the change logic of appropriateness and the logic of consequences on change fatigue and change cynicism and the impact of change fatigue and change cynicism on change success.Design/methodology/approachTo carry out this study, the authors collected data on a sample of 320 participants from diverse organisations, and they used structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques to test our hypotheses depicted in the research model.FindingsThe authors found that the change logic of consequences reduces both change fatigue and change cynicism, whereas the change logic of appropriateness increases change fatigue. The authors also found that change fatigue does not have any direct effect on change success, although it maintains an indirect negative effect on change success through change cynicism.Practical implicationsAlong with other practical implications, the authors recommend that change managers help employees understand any logic of consequences that sustain their change initiatives. Additionally, change managers should work to prevent change fatigue from turning into change cynicism, which is the real precursor of reduced change success.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to show that employees experience change fatigue and change cynicism differently, depending on the reason underlying the change. It is also among the first to show that change fatigue does not affect change success directly but does so through the interplay of change cynicism.