Change Appraisals and Job Crafting as Foundation to Inculcate Support for Change: A Dual Manifestation

Abstract

Purpose

Organizational change does not always have only negative repercussions but also has positive implications. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory and the job demands-resources model, this study aims to examine the differential effects of change-related challenge-threat appraisals on employees’ change supportive behavior.

Theoretical framework

The study proposes that challenge-threat appraisals provide an impetus for change recipients to enact approach-avoidance job crafting behaviors during times of organizational change, a relationship that is moderated by hope.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from the staff of one of the leading banks in Pakistan, which has been going through a major techno-structural change. Using a self-reported questionnaire and cross-sectional means the study tested the proposed research framework by employing multivariate analysis techniques to accomplish the research objectives.

Findings

The findings showed that challenge appraisals positively predicted and threat appraisals negatively predicted employees’ change-supportive behavior. Moreover, approach-avoidance job crafting provides a robust channel to intervene and influence the proposed direct relationships. Furthermore, hope moderated and strengthened the positive association between challenge appraisals and approach job crafting. However, it failed to establish its moderating role in the relationship between threat appraisals and avoidance job crafting.

Practical & social implications of research

This paper shows that organizations seeking successful implementation to change should focus primarily on fostering employees’ behavioral support for change. In particular, they should engage employees in approach job crafting behavior and promote their perception towards change as challenging that can aid in enactment of such behaviors.

Originality/value

The study offers fresh theoretical, empirical, and practical insights to the existing body of change literature. It contributes to the research on organizational change by addressing multiple perspectives in a single study, such as by simultaneously examining the personal and contextual factors, activation phenomenon, and dual perspectives to unfold people’s behavioral support for change.

Keywords:
Challenge-threat appraisals; job crafting; hope; change-supportive behavior; organizational change