Employees and Change Initiatives: Intrinsic Rewards and Feeling Valued

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to focus on reducing employee dissatisfaction and withdrawal in major, consultant designed, change programs by increasing intrinsic rewards. A survey of 585 employees and 31 team leaders involved in ten change programs across seven companies, 25 business units, and three countries was used to collect employees' sense of intrinsic rewards, innovation, satisfaction with their organization, and intentions to stay at the start of the change effort and one year later. Employees reported higher levels of intrinsic rewards (meaningfulness and choice) one year into a change program compared to at the start of the change effort. Intrinsic rewards related positively with satisfaction with the organization and intentions to stay at both time periods, with programs supportive of employee innovation further enhancing employee satisfaction and retention more strongly during the change effort. While the sample was large, and the authors obtained team leader perspectives in support of the findings, the study involved surveying samples of employees on programs where the team leader had sufficient rapport to obtain voluntary employee responses. Consultants and managers involved in planned change can increase the support for the change through enhancing the intrinsic rewards of employees involved in the change program. By examining the work motivation of employees undergoing a change program the authors were able to identify ways in which consultants and managers can increase employee satisfaction with their organization and intentions to stay with it.

Keywords

Intention to stay, Intrinsic rewards, Job satisfaction, Motivation (psychology), Organizational change, Satisfaction

Discipline

Human Resources Management | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Strategic Management Policy

Research Areas

Strategy and Organisation

Publication

Journal of Business Strategy

Volume

34

Issue

2

First Page

21

Last Page

29

ISSN

0275-6668

Identifier

10.1108/02756661311310422

Publisher

Emerald

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661311310422

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