1.1 Motivation
I have chosen to study work design theory, and how it can explain an employee’s reactions to change. The focus on work design has increased during the last years, and several new studies on the topic have been published. However, few publications focus on how work design can explain reactions to change. During the time I’ve studied at NHH there has been a great focus on change and change management. In today’s business environment change seems to be the norm, and there are often several change initiatives in place at the same time. The focus on change, and the possibility to write about a topic which hasn’t seen much previous research, has made me very interested in studying this area.
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company helping clients become high-performing businesses. The Accenture Stavanger division has since fourth quarter of 2011 been in the process of implementing Operational excellence in all its service delivery operations. This change has already been implemented, or is in the process of being implemented, globally, and is seen as very important for the way Accenture’s Service Delivery business will operate in the future. As a result of this Accenture Stavanger has
expressed a desire to have the topic studied. Thus the implementation of operational excellence in Accenture Stavanger will be the case of this master thesis.
I’ve been working for Accenture Stavanger during most holidays since 2008, and my knowledge of both the organisation and the employees will therefore be helpful in order to facilitate the data collection. Accenture Stavanger’s main business idea is to provide oil companies with financial services, and this might give additional value to the thesis as one can use the information in comparison to other organisations’ working with financial services in general and the financial
2 | P a g e department of oil companies specifically. Furthermore Accenture Stavanger has enough
employees to provide a sufficient amount of interviewees for the data collection.
1.2 Objectives, hypothesis and research question
In this master thesis I want to use work design theory as a tool to understand how the employees’
perception of Operational Excellence influence their behaviour. As this is a narrow study the goal is not to develop a general theory. However, similar organisations might be able to benefit from the experiences outlined in this thesis.
The purpose behind most change initiatives is to change the behaviour of the organisation’s members. Therefore the focus of the thesis will be on how the perceived change in job
characteristics has affected the employees’ behaviour. The assumption is that positive changes in terms of job characteristics will lead to higher motivation to implement the change, and this will increase the likelihood of beneficial behavioural changes. If the perceived changes in job
characteristics are negative the assumption is that this will reduce motivation, and hence reduce the likelihood of beneficial behavioural changes. In addition I assume that moderating effects can influence the relationship between the “perceived change in job characteristics” and
“motivation”, and the relationship between “motivation” and “behavioural change”. These assumptions are presented in the model below.
3 | P a g e Figure 1 show the assumption that the perception of how a job is affected can be used to
anticipate how an employee will change his or her behaviour as a result of a work-related change initiative.
A moderating effect can be defined as a factor that strengthen or weakens the relationship between two other factors. There are several moderating effects that influence the path from the perception of effect on job characteristics to the behavioural changes occur. However, to avoid that the thesis becomes too wide it will be limited to look at the moderating effects assumed to be most important. Facilitating knowledge and skill through education has been shown to be of high importance when a change is implemented (Bartunek, et al., 2006), and this is presumed to be highly relevant in this case as well. Growth need strength is a measure of how strongly a person needs personal accomplishment, learning, and for developing himself from where he is now (Hackman & Oldham, 1980). Strategic change often brings several opportunities for personal accomplishment, learning and development, and such opportunities also seem present in this particular change initiative. In other words the moderating effects assumed to be most influential are the individual’s growth need strength and knowledge and skill.
Perception of effect on job characteristic
s
Motivation to implement
change
Behavioural change Moderating effects
Figure 1: The relationship between a work-related change initiative and behavioural changes
4 | P a g e The model also assumes that the two moderating effects can have an impact on both the
relationship between “Perception of effect on job characteristics” and “Motivation to implement the change” and between “Motivation to implement the change” and “Behavioural changes”. The next two sections will give an explanation of how the moderating effects are presumed to have an impact on the two relationships. Note that the explanation given below is by no means meant to be exhaustive, but is rather a demonstration of different ways that growth need strength and knowledge and skill may moderate the two relationships.
An individual with high growth need strength is assumed to be eager to learn new things and develop himself from where he is now. As previously mentioned most change initiatives involve opportunity for learning and development, and hence an individual’s level of growth need strength is presumed to moderate the relationship between “Perception of effect on job characteristics” and “Motivation to implement the change”. Knowledge and skill is also presumed to have an effect on this relationship. If an individual has negative experience with change initiatives, e.g. downsizing, the model assumes that this will weaken the relationship between “Perception of effect on job characteristics” and “Motivation to implement the change”.
In the case of the relationship between “Motivation to implement the change” and “Behavioural changes” relevant knowledge and skill is presumed to reduce the threshold to take part in the implementation process. The second relationship in Figure 1 will also be impacted by growth need strength as an individual with high growth need strength is assumed to be more eager to accomplish or implement his part of the change initiative.
Resistance to change is assumed to be the most important type of behavioural change for the purpose of this thesis, and in an attempt to limit the thesis only this form of behavioural change will be examined.
5 | P a g e The background for the study is the assumption that work design theories can be used to explain employee behavioural reactions to a change. With that in mind the thesis seeks to answer the research question: will an employee’s perception of how his or her job will be affected by a change initiative lead to a change in behaviour?
1.3 Choice of theory
The master thesis is based on theory about the job characteristics model presented by Hackman and Oldham in 1976. In addition extensions to the job characteristics model presented in the elaborated model of work design presented by Parker et al. in 2001 will be used. These theories form the foundation for the thesis and will be used to gain an understanding of how work design can explain reactions to change. This understanding can then be used to identify the key elements in the change process.
I will also present what the empirical evidence say about the usefulness of the job characteristics model. Since the thesis will examine work design and how it can be used to explain behavioural reactions to change a part of the theory section will look at change literature in relation to job characteristics. Finally the concept of Operational Excellence will be presented to give the reader an idea of how the introduction of Operational Excellence can affect the employees of Accenture Stavanger.
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