PurposeUnderpinned by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study aimed to examine the mediating role of employees' adaptability in the relationship between the five managerial climate factors (i.e., trust, supportiveness, openness, clarity of goals and participative) and change readiness in public sector organisations.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the quantitative approach, data were collected from 379 administrative and diplomatic officers. Analysis was done using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results showed that trust and clarity of goals are significant motivational factors that accelerate employees' adaptability. Adaptability, in turn, was found to mediate the effect of trust and clarity of goals on employees' change readiness.Originality/valueThis study contributes to theory and practice by examining employees' adaptability as an intervening variable in the relationship between managerial climate factors and change readiness with specific reference to the public administration context.

This study examined the mediating role of proactivity in the effects of five adaptability features (i.e. work stress coping, creativity, dealing with uncertainty, training and learning, and interpersonal adaptability) on employees’ change readiness. A total of 379 employees of public sector organisations in Malaysia participated in the study. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse the proposed model. The results indicate that out of the five adaptability features, three (dealing with uncertainty, training and learning, and interpersonal adaptability) significantly predict proactivity. Proactivity was also found to mediate the effects of these three adaptability features on change readiness. This paper contributes to the change readiness literature by identifying proactivity as mediator in the relationship between adaptability features and change readiness, which has received relatively scant attention. Practical and theoretical contributions are discussed.