The Effects of Organizational Factors on Employees’ Resistance to Change: In the Case of Ethio Telecom’s Contact Centers
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Date
2023-06-08
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A.A.U
Abstract
Identifying sources of resistance to change is crucial for organizations, as employees' behaviors
cannot always be predicted. Much of the literature focuses on identifying sources of resistance
arising from employees' side. This study aimed to investigate the effects of broken promises,
organizational bureaucracy, and groupthink that can come directly from the organization itself,
which lead employees to resist organizational change. A questionnaire was distributed to 264
participants. The research at Ethio telecom's Wello Sefer contact center found a positive and
significant relationship between broken promises, organizational bureaucracy, and groupthink
on resistance to change. The majority of Ethio telecom employees believed that these variables
were the reasons for their resistance to change. The linear multiple regression analysis revealed
that groupthink was the best predictor of resistance to organizational change, followed by
organizational bureaucracy and broken promises. Groupthink is the main cause of resistance to
change, as it strengthens group unity, reinforces self-negligence, and lowers decision quality.
Organizational bureaucracy is another factor that can affect resistance to change, as large
bureaucratic organizations often face resistance from employees. Broken promises have the least
effect, but employees may reserve their assigned contribution, decrease organizational
commitment, voluntary exit, diminished job satisfaction, and reduced proactive behavior when
they believe their employer has failed to honor promised rewards.