Change is an organizational inevitability. There are few fields that undergo change more rapidly than information technology. Keeping up with the pace of change in a field so inclined toward change may take a unique toll on workers in information technology. Yet, little has been done to investigate workers' orientations towards change in this turbulent field. Accordingly, this research explores attitudes toward change and some possible related characteristics among individuals who work in the field of information technology. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the nature of resistance to change in information technology. The secondary purpose of this study was to discover potential relationships between resistance to change and several well known motivational variables; specifically empowerment, engagement, and workaholism. Trust was included in this model as well because it has been shown to relate to both motivation and resistance to change and because trust is generally understood to be a characteristic that eases interaction and reduces transaction costs. This study used a web-based survey to collect responses from individuals employed in two medium-sized information technology organizations. Responses were analyzed using correlational, regression, path, and factor analyses to analyze participants' responses. Results indicated that resistance to change is a factor in information technology. Also, two of three motivational characteristics related negatively to resistance to change. Trust related negatively to resistance to change and positively to the same two motivational characteristics, but did not mediate the relationship between these variables. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to the study of information technology as they suggest possible implications for organizational functioning, individual well-being, technology adoption, and coping, and innovation.

Organisationsförändringar är vanliga fenomen inom dagens organisationer och förändringarna skapar ofta stort engagemang hos medarbetare, inte sällan leder organisationsförändringar till motstånd. Forskningen som finns idag domineras av synen på individen samt chefernas roll och möjlighet till att påverka motståndet och behandlar således inte de anställdas motstånd som ett relationellt fenomen. Det som i mindre utsträckning når ut är motstånd ur ett medarbetarperspektiv, hur motstånd manifesteras under en omorganisering. Syftet med denna studie är således att undersöka hur motstånd manifesteras vid en organisationsförändring. Vi har valt att studera medarbetarnas motstånd vid en organisationsförändring som genomdrevs vid ett svenskt lärosäte med start 2012. Organisationen genomgick en förändring där medarbetarna gick från att övervägande ha enskilda cellkontor till en öppen aktivitetsbaserad arbetsplatslösning. Empirin samlades in genom kvalitativa intervjuer med 13 medarbetare anställda vid tiden för omorganiseringen. Därefter har empirin analyserats utifrån två teoretiska ramverk, Organisationsbeteende- och Arbetssociologiskt perspektiv. Resultatet av analysen visar att båda perspektiven är nödvändiga för att förstå hur motstånd manifesteras. Således är ett resultat av denna studie att det behövs ytterligare forskning för att fylla luckan inom den existerande motståndsforskningen. Slutligen kan studien tillsammans med annan motstånds- och ledarskapsforskning bidra till ökad kunskap om hur medarbetares engagemang kan nyttiggöras vid förändringsarbete.

Background: Digitalization is the latest trend in the world. Companies are driving the process of digital transformation in order to meet the digital age. Many factors influence digital transformation, of which a review of previous research has identified digital technology and digital leadership as two important factors in digital transformation.  Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to understand the impact of resisting the digital transformation of enterprises from the perceived dimensions of their employees. Method: A deductive and quantitative approach was adopted. The online survey is the channel to collect primary data. The empirical data are sorted and analyzed by Excel and SPSS. To ensure the accuracy of the data, 253 raw data were sampled and finally collated into 173 data for further analysis. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings of our article, which explores the factors influencing employees' attitudes towards resistance to digital transformation. The results found that employees' attitudes towards digital tools and digital transformation were positively correlated. The findings of this article have some limitations and are described in terms of the research methodology, the findings of the study. It also suggests areas for future research.

Förändringar sker ständigt i en mängd olika organisationer av en mängd olika anledningar. Både externa och interna faktorer ställer krav på att organisationen måste genomföra förändringar som inte alltid genomförs utan hinder och motstånd. Olika typer av förändringsmotstånd kan påverka förändringar på olika sätt, det gemensamma är att de bör hanteras för att alla ska bemöta förändringen likvärdigt. Syftet med studien är att utöka kunskapen kring faktorer som bidrar med motstånd i samband med förändringsarbeten inom tillverkande organisationer. Tidigare forskning tar upp kommunikation, motivation och delaktighet som faktorer som kan påverka motståndet bland medarbetarna. Ett bra ledarskap framförs som viktigt för att leda medarbetarna i rätt riktning med mål att uppnå aktivt motstånd i stället för ett passivt. Studien tillämpades av en kvantitativ metod där datainsamlingen genomfördes med hjälp av enkäter som medarbetarna i fallorganisationen fick möjlighet till att besvara. Den insamlade data analyserades med hjälp av två analyser: faktor- och klusteranalys. Alla analyser bearbetades i SPSS, som är ett statistiskt dataanalysprogram av IBM. I empirin gjordes en faktoranalys där 21 enkätfrågor reducerades till tre index som utifrån tidigare forskning kunde kopplas till kommunikation, motivation och delaktighet. Dessa nya faktorer användes sedan för att med hjälp av en klusteranalys finna olika grupperingar bland medarbetarna för och därefter identifiera olika typer av motstånd. Slutsatsen är medarbetarna i stora drag är motiverade till att genomföra förändringarna. Det som kan bidra till motstånd är bristande kommunikation och utesluten delaktighet. Något som på lång sikt även kan påverka motivationen. / Changes are constantly taking place in a variety of organizations for different reasons. Both external and internal factors require the organization to implement changes that are not always implemented without obstacles and resistance. Different types of resistance to change can affect changes in different ways, the common thing is that they should be handled for everyone to respond equally to the change. The purpose of the study is to expand the knowledge about factors that influence the resistance to change during a change processwithin manufacturing organizations. Previous research addresses communication, motivation, and participation as factors that can affect resistance among employees. Good leadership is important to lead employees in the right direction to achieve active resistance instead of passive. The study was applied by a quantitative method where the data collection was carried out using questionnaires that the employees in the case organization could answer. The collected data was analyzed using two analyses: factor and cluster analysis. All analyses were processed in SPSS, which is a statistical data analysis program by IBM. In empirical research, factor analysis was carried out in which 21 survey questions were reduced to three indices that, based on previous research, could be linked to communication, motivation, and participation. These new factors were then used to use cluster analysis to find different groupings among the employees and then identify different types of resistance. The conclusion is that employees are broadly motivated to implement the changes. What can contribute to resistance is a lack of communication and excluded participation. Something that in the long term can also affect motivation.

Background: The transport industry is facing new challenges such as increased competition between the actors and an increasing shortage of truck drivers. Implementing new technologies such as autonomous driving can represent a solution for companies to increase their competitiveness and gains. However, implementing such an innovative solution leads to a certain resistance to change that has to be dealt with, as well as concerns about the current jobs within the industry. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to assess the resistance to change linked to implementing this technology within Logistics Service Providers, provide solutions to overcome this resistance, as well as assessing the impact on jobs. Method: An inductive multiple case study has been used to conduct this research. The data was gathered from 12 semi-structured interviews with experts related to the transport industry. Then, thematic data analysis has been used to provide insights. Conclusion: The results show that the resistance is characterized by barriers to the technology and the resistance from the people, that support and communication is the key factor for successful implementation and that the truck driving professions will evolve considerably.

Companies have always had to adapt to external changes by innovation and reorganisation, in order to stay competitive and survive. For many industries, such as the automotive industry for example the need to quickly adapt to new conditions is expected to increase. In the automotive industry this is due to amongst other factors the globalised value chains and megatrends such as decarbonisation, autonomous vehicles and shared mobility. The megatrends could possibly be disruptive for the industry. Therefore, the ability to successfully implement necessary changes is a key ability. Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings. While protecting the individual from anxiety, they often result in a resistance to changes and is therefore problematic for organisations in need of implementing change. Emotional contagion is a subconscious process that can make people emotionally converge.  The authors propose that within a business context, emotional contagion enables stable organizational groups to converge with regard to which defense mechanisms that are employed. Within a case study of the automotive supplier Swedish Electro Magnets a quantitative analysis of defense styles was conducted based on the Defense Style Questionnaire on groups in the organisation. Three defense style categories were analysed Mature, Neurotic and Immature defense styles.  For Mature defense styles significant findings confirmed that stable groups do converge with regard to what mechanisms are employed. Neurotic defense styles were not found significant, however these results are rather uncertain with a power of 15 %. Immature defense styles could not be analysed because of inhomogeneity of variance between the groups on this variable.  The study shows that the two theories of Emotional contagion and Defence mechanism are interacting within the organisation of Swedish Electro Magnets with regard to Mature defense styles. The study also finds a large effect size, that suggests that the differences in the defense styles are visible to the naked eye of a careful observer. The large effect size makes the findings a promising field for further research to ultimately reduce the resistance to change in organisations. / Företag har alltid behövt anpassa sig till yttre omständigheter genom innovation och omorganisering för att bevara sin konkurrenskraft och överleva. För många branscher som exempelvis fordonsindustrin, förväntas behovet av att snabbt kunna anpassa sig till nya omständigheter öka. Bland annat på grund av globaliserade värdekedjor och megatrender såsom koldioxidneutralitet, självkörande fordon och delad mobilitet. Potentiellt kan megatrender verka disruptivt för industrin. Därför är förmågan att framgångsrikt implementera förändring en nyckelfaktor Defense mechanisms är undermedvetna psykologiska strategier använda för att skydda en person från ångest som uppkommer från oacceptabla tankar eller känslor. Medan individen skyddas från ångest, leder ofta också Defense mechanisms till motstånd till förändring och är därför problematiskt för företag som är i behov av att implementera förändring. Emotional contagion är en undermedveten process som kan få personer att känslomässigt konvergera.  Författarna föreslår att i företagssammanhang kan Emotional contagion få stabila grupper att konvergera med avseende på vilka Defense mechanisms som används av medlemmarna i gruppen. I en fallstudie på fordonsindustri underleverantören Swedish Electro Magnets har en kvantitativ studie genomförts baserat på självskattningsformuläret defense style Questionnaire på grupper i organisationen. Tre defense style kategorier undersöktes Mature, Neurotic och Immature.  För Mature defense styles fanns signifikanta resultat vilka konfirmerade att stabila grupper konvergerar för vilka Defense mechanisms som används. Neurotic defense styles gav inte signifikanta resultat. Dessa resultat är dock osäkra då analysens styrka endast var 15 %. Immature defense styles kunde inte analyseras på grund av inhomogenitet i variansen mellan grupperna för denna variabel.  Studien visar att de två teorierna Emotional contagion och Defense mechanisms interagerar i organisationen Swedish Electro Magnets med avseende på Mature defense styles. Studien fastslår också att det föreligger en stor effektstorlek, vilket tyder på att skillnader i defense styles är synlig för blotta ögat för en uppmärksam observatör. Den stora effektstorleken medför att fynden utgör ett lovande fält för fortsatt forskning vilket slutligen kan leda till att motstånd till förändring i organisationer kan reduceras.

Approximately 70% of change initiatives fail to achieve the anticipated outcomes, and resistance to change is continuously cited in the literature as 1 of the most common reasons for change failure. Researchers know that emotions play a role in change but do not know how emotional intelligence affects the relationship between leader-member exchange and reactions to change. Grounded in Oreg's multidimensional resistance-to-change model, leader-member exchange theory, and emotional intelligence theory, the purpose of this study was to narrow the gap in knowledge of how emotional intelligence influences the relationship between leader-member exchange and resistance to change. A correlational, cross-sectional design was employed with a nonpurposeful sample of 349 research administrators, and data analysis was completed through hierarchical multiple regression and the Hayes PROCESS macro. Significant negative correlations were found between (a) leader-member exchange and resistance to change and (b) emotional intelligence and resistance to change. Emotional intelligence was not found to have an expected moderating effect on the relationship between leader-member exchange and resistance to change. The findings indicated that employees are less likely to resist change when they perceive a higher quality relationship with their supervisor and have a higher level of emotional intelligence. The results of this study can be used to inform organizational leaders of the need to incorporate training on building high-quality relationships and emotional intelligence in change management programs, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving the organizational goals intended by the change.

An uncertain business environment and increased competition have resulted in change being an inevitable aspect for modern organizations. Therefore, it's important to understand what factors have the most impact on a change project's outcome. Previous research found that as much as 70 percent of change projects do not achieve the desired results. To address this issue, research has been conducted to establish factors that are important to operationalize independent of the change projects characteristics. However, the success rate of change projects is still low and contemporary research suggests how factors that are important to operationalize are influenced by change characteristics. This study examined the relationship between critical success factors and change characteristics through an individual case study of a change project. The method was qualitative and semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees at the case company. The study found that certain critical success factors established by prior research were not considered important for the change project's outcome, while other factors, including the respondents own suggestions, were considered crucial. The study also found that certain phases of the change project were considered more important than others.

Despite research which found that using technology in teaching is beneficial to students, few teachers continue to use technology in their instruction. The research literature addressed four barriers to technology infusion by teachers: lack of tools, time, training, and support. Many teachers do not have the equipment to implement technology into their instruction and do not have the time to learn technology skills as well as implement technology into their lessons. Many teachers lack the training to use technology in their instruction and also lack the support from those in the school to infuse technology in their instruction. A case study of teachers in a small rural school was conducted to examine their change of instruction when they were provided the opportunity to use technology in their instruction by participating in a project which addressed the barriers to technology infusion. Throughout a three year period, the researcher collected data to assess technology integration by the teachers through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The teachers? instruction changed very little. To the teachers, the purpose of the project was to create lesson plans. They seemed to see the project as a burden rather than as an opportunity improve their teaching. The conclusion drawn from the case study was that the barriers addressed in the literature were not the only barriers to technology infusion by teachers. One barrier to technology infusion by these teachers seemed to be their confusion about the purpose of the project. Another barrier for these teachers was their lack of acceptance of the project staff who they considered to be outsiders. The teachers also seemed to lack the motivation to change their teaching which seemed to be a barrier for technology infusion as well. It is recommended that administrators who would like to see technology used in instruction choose teachers for a project such as this who want to change their teaching. It is also recommended that future projects present the project as an opportunity for change in their instruction. It is also recommended that future projects build positive relationships with the participants.

This research project investigates individuals' resistance to change brought about by new information technology implementation in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. By understanding how individual participants resist and adapt to change, their resistance can be better accommodated by the organization in the adoption of new information technology within the AEC industry. This enables researchers and practitioners to understand how new technologies should be introduced within organizations. A social architecture factor model associated with impeding/promoting use of information technologies was created based on a literature review of change management theory on resistance to change and attitude-behavior connections. In Phase I of the research, the personality traits and behavioral characteristics individuals included in the original model were reduced to a smaller number of variables indicative of resistance to information technology change. A revised social architecture factor model was created after this reduction. The variable reduction and revised model were based on data collected from a 50-person sample of the AEC population. At the conclusion of Phase I, a Resistance to Change Index (RTCI) was created, enabling estimations of the intensity of resistance an individual is likely to exhibit using the personality traits and behavioral characteristics kept in the revised social architecture factor model. Phase II of the research investigated relationships between the RTCI and demographics of the individual using a 156-person sample of the AEC population. This phase of the research determined whether different demographic groups within the AEC population exhibited differences in their RTCI. The data analysis found several demographic groups that were different in their likelihood of resistance, including profession, gender, computer understanding and experience, and awareness of past or future changes occurring in their company. Age and education level were expected to have relationships with RTCI, based on industry stereotypes. The data analysis found that these stereotypes have no scientific basis. Two other stereotypes, gender and computer understanding and experience, were supported by the data analysis, however. / Ph. D.