Chapter 4 Personality, affect, and organizational change: a qualitative study

Abstract

Published studies of the relationships between personality, affect, and organizational change have been overwhelmingly quantitative, while clinical and psychodynamic approaches have seldom dealt with the context of organizational change. We used semistructured interviews to explore the “middle ground”, by researching how participants in change believed aspects of their personalities contributed to their responses, particularly on an affective level. We found that traits such as openness to experience, resilience, pragmatism, change self-efficacy, and locus of control influenced participants' perceptions of how they reacted to organizational change. The findings point to the important role that qualitative research into personality can play in improving understanding of emotional responses to organizational change.

Citation

Smollan, R.K., Matheny, J.A. and Sayers, J.G. (2010), "Chapter 4 Personality, affect, and organizational change: a qualitative study", Zerbe, W.J., Charmine E. J., H. and Neal M., A. (Ed.) Emotions and Organizational Dynamism (Research on Emotion in Organizations, Vol. 6), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 85-112. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1746-9791(2010)0000006008