The importance of change communication and state motivation when adapting to changes

Abstract

Employees often work in dynamic environments requiring adaptive performance (e.g., emergencies, clients from other cultures). To optimize change management, employee training, and personnel selection in organizations, researchers have focused on trait‐like predictors of adaption to change, such as personality traits or cognitive ability. The study (N = 300) shifts the focus to more proximal performance predictors – change communication and task‐related state motivation. Adaptive performance was modeled using latent growth models. Providing two change‐related hints, one at the beginning of the task and another directly after the change, mitigated performance impairment observed directly after the change. Moreover, this advantage largely persisted throughout the later stages of the task. In contrast, a single hint at the beginning of the task did not substantially facilitate adaption. Finally, task‐related state motivation was linked to better performance on the subsequent measurement occasion. Organizations might minimize change‐induced losses by deploying adequate change communication and maintaining employee motivation.