Why Change?

The article “Employees’ Adaptability and Perceptions of Change-Related Uncertainty: Implications for Perceived Organizational Support, Job Satisfaction, and Performance” written by Kristin L. Cullen, Bryan D. Edwards, Wm. Camron Casper, and Kevin Gue from the Journal of Business & Psychology, has incredible research related to the topic of adaptability.

“The stress created by organizational change is largely due to perceived uncertainty regarding changes in the work environment” (Cullen, Edwards, Casper, Gue, 2014).

A question I asked in my first blog dealt with why people hate change. According to this article, change causes unwarranted stress to an individual. People are afraid of what they don’t know, and when changes are being made, the outcome is the unknown that people are so afraid of. Although changes are intended to enhance the current workplace, they aren’t accepted without a little hesitation. Many people spend the majority of their week at work and develop a routine, so when that is out of balance, it causes frustration.

After reading this article, I started thinking like this:

My typical routine on a daily basis is to get up, shower, get dressed, do my makeup, brush my teeth, and leave the house. I’m used to doing the same thing everyday, it’s second nature. Now, if I did my makeup before I got dressed would that throw my whole day out of whack? Sure, if I got dressed before I showered that wouldn’t be productive; but if I made small changes in the way my mornings went, would it really matter? I’d still get out the door at the same time, wouldn’t I?

Now if I applied this logic to the workplace, I’d be more receptive to change. Usually, changes in the workplace are made gradually. Upper-management loves to hear feedback on their changes, and implement them accordingly. No respected boss is going to implement a change that will have their employees searching for new jobs.

“A flexible workforce allows the organization to meet changing performance requirements, adapt, and respond to workplace innovations (Miller 2002). Thus, companies value employees who have the ability to adjust to changing expectations and capitalize on opportunities that enhance their skills” (Cullen, Edwards, Casper, Gue, 2014).

If you’re trying to get-ahead in the workplace, why wouldn’t you want to accept change? According to this article, when employees are able to adapt efficiently and effectively, management thinks very highly of them. Any time your superior sees that you want to improve, they take note of that.

Now, are you starting to think of change as a good thing? Me too.

Cullen, K. L., Edwards, B. D., Casper, W. C., & Gue, K. (2014). Employees’ Adaptability and Perceptions of Change-Related Uncertainty: Implications for Perceived Organizational Support, Job Satisfaction, and Performance. Journal of Business & Psychology, 29(2), 269–280. Retrieved February 28, 2018.