Employee reactions to change management in a selected printing company - a case study of Uniprint.

Abstract

he research investigated employee reactions to change management in a selected printing company, Uniprint. Firstly, the study determined the key contributing factors to managing change and whether the selected printing company ensured that these factors were present through the change management process. Thereafter, the employee reactions to change management was investigated. Further to this, the extent of employee involvement in change management was ascertained. Finally, the role of leadership and the human resources (HR) department in change management was established. The research methodology consisted of mixed methods: namely, both quantitative and qualitative approaches. There were structured interviews with open-ended questions as well as questionnaires containing closed-ended questions. The researcher interviewed 5 employees within both managerial and operational positions and distributed 126 questionnaires amongst the other employees. The interviews provided the detail that the researcher required and the questionnaires broadened the research because they provided more views since it was completed by a broader range of respondents. The purposive sampling technique was used as the research methodology was both quantitative and qualitative, and the researcher relied on her judgement in selecting the respondents for the research. The research findings revealed that the key contributing factors to managing change were communication, planning, teamwork, and a budget. In investigating the employee reactions, the research identified gaps wherein there were negative employee reactions when there was no transparency and open communication from leadership and HR, and, when employees were not involved in the change management process. When employees were involved in change management there were positive employee reactions because employees felt valued which ultimately impacted their jobs and work environment.