internal factors and change management practices …
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INTERNAL FACTORS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES IN NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN KENYA:
A CASE STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR
TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
BY
SUSAN AWUOR OWINO
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY - AFRICA
SUMMER 2020
INTERNAL FACTORS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES IN NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN KENYA:
A CASE STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR
TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
BY
SUSAN AWUOR OWINO
A Research Project Submitted to the Chandaria School of
Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree
of Master in Business Administration (MBA)
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY - AFRICA
SUMMER 2020
i
STUDENT DECLARATION
I, the undersigned declare that this is my original work and has not been submitted to any other
college, institution or university other than the United States International University - Africa
in Nairobi for academic credit.
Signed: __________________________ Date: ________________________________
Name: Susan Owino
ID No: 637001
This research project has been presented for examination with my approval as the appointed
supervisor.
Signed: _______________________ Date: ________________________________
Supervisor: Juliana M. Namada, PhD.
Signed: __________________________ Date: _______________________________
Dean, Chandaria School of Business
ii
COPYRIGHT
This research paper has copy rights and should not be reproduced in electronic formats, printed
or photocopied without express permission from the author
© Susan Owino, 2020
iii
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between internal factors and change
management practices in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya. The study focused on three
variables in determining the relationship between internal actors and the success of change
management initiatives which include employee commitment in the change process,
communication channels and the leadership attributes.
The study assumed an explanatory survey research design. The study had a sample population
of 135 employees of the Alliance between the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT) and Bioversity International with 100 responses received. Stratified sampling
technique was incorporated whereby the population was divided into strata consisting of
Management, Researchers and Non researchers. Simple random sampling was also be used to
give the elements in the population an equal chance of being selected. Primary data was used
in the study and was collected using a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed
directly to the population. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed
through the use of Excel, SPSS and statistical analysis tools presented through tables and
figures. The study also analyzed data using the Linear Regression Model, ANOVA and
coefficients table
The findings of the study conclude that staff commitment is the second most important element
when managing change in Non Profit Organizations as compared to communication and
leadership with a 0.00 significance and 76.8% positive influence. The study found that staff
commitment could be enhanced by increasing the involvement of staff in the change process
while ensuring they understand how beneficial the change will be in the long run. When
managing change in alliances, it is important to have an effective integration process to ensure
that the change runs smoothly between the organizations. In addition, change initiatives are
likely to receive more commitment if the present culture supports the change being introduced
and if relevant training is provided for staff to fit in to the new changes.
The study concluded that communication is the most important element in change management
compared to staff commitment and leadership with a 0.00 significance and 84.8% positive
influence. The study found that communication can be enhanced by using different channels
of communication including emails, town hall meetings and one on one sessions.
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Communication can also be enhanced through the use of change agents who can make the
change communication process easier especially in large scale change initiatives occurring on
an international level. Empathy is seen to play a major role in communicating change while
also incorporating a bottom up approach in change communication.
The study found leadership to be the least influential of the three with a 0.00 significance but
only 51.6% positive influence. The study highlighted various leadership variables that, if
improved on, would have a significantly positive influence on change management including
improvement on strategic and technical competencies of leaders when managing the change,
nurturing of social competencies of leaders, ensuring that the work environment is in line with
the change introduced and ensuring that the leaders are fully committed to the changes taking
place. A low number however believed belief in the importance of political skills when leading
change.
The study concluded that there was a positive relationship between staff commitment,
communication channels, leaderships skills and the success of change management.
Communication was seen as the highest influencer of successful change management
compared to staff commitment and leadership skills. Notable areas included in staff
commitment included increased staff involvement, effective integration processes and
ensuring the culture supports the change. For communication, notable conclusions included
the role of different channels, use of change agents and us of empathy. Conclusion from the
objective on leadership highlighted competencies of leaders, the change environment and a
bottom up approach to be the most significant elements. The study recommended the
incorporation of training and ensuring that staff have a good understanding of not only the
change itself, but its necessity and long term benefits while ensuring staff buy in is sought in
the change process. Secondly, the study recommends that management should tailor change
messages to be as simple as possible, change agents should be incorporated and
communication should be enhanced on a local level. Lastly, change leaders should adopt a
more bottom up approach while making the change decisions more relatable on a local level.
The study also suggested further studies in the role of technology, the operational environment,
the role of various cultural types and the influence of employee competencies on change
management
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledge Dr. Juliana Namada for his constant guidance and direction
throughout this research project.
A big appreciation to Kevin Onyango for his outstanding support and patience in guiding the
analytical elements of the study and Anthony Ngoto, my CIAT supervisor, for his unwavering
support and encouragement throughout the process.
Lastly, I thank all respondents from CIAT and the Alliance as a whole for providing the data
that made this study possible.
vi
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this research study to my family and friends for their continuous
support throughout the research study and the duration of my graduate studies.
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STUDENT DECLARATION .................................................................................................. i
COPYRIGHT ...........................................................................................................................ii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ....................................................................................................... v
DEDICATION......................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. ix
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .............................................................. xi
CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background of the Problem............................................................................................. 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 8
1.3 Purpose of Study ............................................................................................................. 9
1.4 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 9
1.5 Significance of Study ...................................................................................................... 9
1.6 Scope of the Study......................................................................................................... 10
1.7 Definition of Terms ....................................................................................................... 10
1.8 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................. 12
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................. 12
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 12
2.2 Staff Commitment and Strategic Change Management ................................................ 12
2.3 Communication and Strategic Change Management .................................................... 17
2.4 Leadership and Strategic Change Management ............................................................ 22
2.5 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 28
CHAPTER THREE .............................................................................................................. 29
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 29
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 29
3.2 Research Design ............................................................................................................ 29
3.3 Population and Sampling Design .................................................................................. 29
3.4 Data Collection Methods ............................................................................................... 31
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3.5 Research Procedures ..................................................................................................... 32
3.6 Data Analysis Methods ................................................................................................. 33
3.7 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................. 35
4.0 RESULTS AND FINDINGS .......................................................................................... 35
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 35
4.2 Response Rate ............................................................................................................... 35
4.3 Demographic Factors .................................................................................................... 35
4.4 The Influence of Staff Commitment on Success of Change Management ................... 39
4.5 The Influence of Communication Channels on Success of Change Management ....... 42
4.6 The Influence of Leadership Styles on Success on Change Management .................... 45
4.7 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................... 48
CHAPTER FIVE .................................................................................................................. 49
5.0 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................. 49
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 49
5.2 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 49
5.3 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 51
5.4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 57
5.5 Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 57
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 60
APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................................................................... 71
APPENDIX II: COVER LETTER ...................................................................................... 76
APPENDIX III: INTERVIEW INFORMED CONSENT FORM ................................... 77
APPENDIX IV: DEBRIEFING FORM.............................................................................. 78
APPENDIX V: IRB APPROVAL LETTER........................................................................79APPENDIX VI: NACOSTI APPROVAL.............................................................................80
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1 Population Distribution .......................................................................................... 30
Table 3.2 Sample Size Distribution........................................................................................ 31
Table 4.1 Descriptive of the Influence of Staff Commitment on Change Management…….39
Table 4.2 Descriptive Communication Channels on Change Management………………....39
Table 4.3 Descriptive of Leadership Attributes and Change Management……………….....40
Table 4.4 Coefficients of Staff Commitment and Change Management………………….....40
Table 4.5: Descriptive Communication Channels and Change Management………………...42
Table 4.6 Model Summary of Communication Channels and Change Management………..43
Table 4.7 ANOVA of Communication Channels and Change Management………………..43
Table 4.8: Coefficient of Communication Channels and Change Management……………..44
Table 4.9 Descriptive Leadership Styles on Change Management………………….……... 45
Table 4.10 Model Summary Leadership and Change Management……………...………..... 46
Table 4.11 ANOVA of Leadership Styles and Change Management………………………. 46
Table 4.12: Coefficient of Leadership Styles and Change Management…………………….47
x
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.1. Respondents Gender………………………………………………………. 35
Figure 4.2 Work Department ………………………………………………………….36
Figure 4.3 Highest Level of Education………………………………………………...36
Figure 4.4. Years of Work at the Alliance……………………………………………...37
Figure 4.5 Respondents Age …………………………………………………………..38
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
CIAT The International Center for Tropical Agriculture
CRM Customer Related Management
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
ICLT Implicit Change Leadership Theory
ILT Implicit Leadership Theory
ITIL of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
ILT Implicit Leadership Theory
NGO Non-Governmental Organizations
NPO Non-Profit Organizations
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Problem
Occurrence of change has become synonymous with the standard organizational practices
required to remain competitive and effective and organizations are facing it more today than
ever before. This is due to the ever changing customer taste, technological environment
workplace diversity and rising competition. However, more than half of change management
efforts fail which calls for sound change management practices prior, during and after the
implementation of the change (Makumbe, 2016). Change management can therefore be
defined as the process, tools and techniques to manage the people-side of change to achieve
required business outcome (Creasey, 2011).
Various change management models have been developed including those of Lewin (1951),
Kotter (1996) and Paton & McCalman (2000) among others. From these models, it can be
argued that for successful organizational change to occur, it is important to have employee
engagement, appropriate leadership, effective communication and the commitment of affected
stakeholders. While proper management of change is considered key in meeting organizational
objectives, a major problem arises when change initiatives are implemented without
cognizance of the impact of the mentioned factors on employee attitudes considering success
of organizational change often rests in their commitment and motivation.
According to Crutchfield and McLeod (2008), it is time to consider Non Profit and Non-
Governmental organizations not as a closed organization but as a catalyst for the ever changing
environment. Organizational change is inevitable and unavoidable as they constantly need to
adapt to an environment that is in a state of continuous transformation. It is important for
change to be a part of the organizational culture while incorporating the ability to listen to the
changing environment and adapt accordingly. It is however, indisputable that the same
organizations that are designed to create change are very sensitive to any alterations in their
operations and surroundings. While Nonprofits should be seen as agents of change, they
themselves must have the ability to be transformed (Carreras, Iglesias & Sureda, 2010).
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The 10 commandments of executing change were developed by Kanter, Stein and Jick (1992)
whereby emphasis was placed on reinforcement and institutionalization of the change. It is
important, when transforming organizations, to ensure that priority and commitment is instilled
in managers and employees by incorporating the new change into the day to day operations of
the organization. United States company General Motors faced bankruptcy in 2009 due to
competition from Toyota and thus countered this by restructuring and making changes within
the company which involved major cost cutting. General motors were able to do this by
instilling this change of cost cutting and efficiency into the culture of the organization by
making them more countable and responsible for the change and overall success of the change
(Hashim and Khan, 2014).
Various practices go into make change initiatives successful within organizations. Some of the
most commonly used change management practices were developed by Kotter (2007) who
identified practices such as forming a powerful coalition, creating a vision, creating short term
wins and communicating the vision. A study in Peru indicated that these four change
management practices played a significant role in the introduction of Information Technology
Infrastructure Library (ITIL) in the Peruvian Financial Sector. It was worth noting that the
most commonly used practices related to the preparation stage as opposed to the
implementation stage of the change management process. The study indicated that the higher
the greater the use of change management practices, the high the level of compliance to the
change (Yamakawa, Noriega, Linares & Ramirez, 2012).
During her study on leadership behaviors and change management, Maravelas (1992)
emphasized that leaders are change agents are fundamentally key in the change process. This
laid emphasis on Luecke’s seven steps of change management where he highlighted a key
practice as mobilizing energy and commitment through joint identification of business
problems and their solutions (Luecke, 2003). A study by Makina and Keng’ara (2018) on
strategic change of Nzoia Sugar Company in Kenya highlighted that management failed to
mobilize the energy of the employees and as a result change initiatives were highly resisted as
most employees feared more for their job security than the implementation of the change
strategies introduced to stay afloat despite collapse of state funding.
3
Employee commitment to change refers to the attachment level of employees to the
implementation of new rules, work, programs policies and technology among others (Neubert
& Wu, 2009). Walnwrlght, (2009) also be defined employee commitment as the bond
employees experience with their organization which enables them to be more determined in
their work, exhibit high productivity and be more proactive. Among the most commonly cited
reasons for failure when implementing organizational change has been identified as the
inadequate management of people related issues.
This has been further emphasized by Shum, Bove and Auh (2008) in a study in New Zealand
where organizations were found to focus more on technical issues while neglecting people-
related issues when managing strategic change. In a study in India on employee perception and
commitment during organizational change, Maheshwari and Vohra (2015) emphasized the key
role that Human Resource (HR) in developing employee commitment through integration into
leadership, culture, cross functional integration, communication, training and technology. This
was also emphasized in a study in India by Rao and Vijayalakshmi, (2000) who discovered
that Cases of slow implementation processes in India are due to inadequate efforts in
transforming the perceptions of staff towards the transformation processes included in the
change initiatives. However, they also noted that the approach goes beyond superficial
participation of employees and should focus more on tapping their competencies to allow for
greater involvement. This consequently plays a major role in enhancing employee
commitment.
The role of HR during mergers and acquisitions has been highlighted by Aguilera and Dencker
(2004) who believe that human aspect is often neglected during mergers and acquisitions. In
addition, Dauber (2012) further emphasized the importance of culture during mergers and
acquisitions and the role they play in integrating organizational cultures. The East African
Regional Organization highlighted that success in the organization was dependent on HR roles
which included emphasis on organizing learning workshops and individual coaching as the
organization undertook redesigning of the organizational structure so as to ensure successful
implementation of the projects. In addition, a 360-degree feedback process was incorporated
in existing performance review process (UNICEF, 2016).
4
Communication can be defined as the exchange of ideas, facts, opinions or emotions between
two or more persons (Newman & Summer, 1967). Communication was further defined as the
process by which information is transmitted between individuals and/or organizations so that
and understanding response results (Little, 1977). It can be perceived as a mechanism in which
stakeholders can get clarification on various facts of what is going on with the change and the
benefits to be derived from the change (Kulvisaechana, 2001). A good understanding of how
to communicate organizational change is one of the challenges experienced by organizations
in the new century and while the centrality is recognized, little empirical research has been
conducted to determine the actual role (Jones, Watson, Garner & Gallois, 2004).
While studying the perceptions of trust in the workplace during strategic change in Cyprus,
Greece and Romania, Komdromos, Halkias & Harkiolakis (2018) argued that communication
channels need to be built between management and employees during strategic changes.
Building trust is critical during such endeavors and it is therefore critical to build effective
communication channels between different departments to ensure employees have information
on a continuous basis and trust is built. Large scale initiatives in Hong Kong have experienced
a 70% fail rate as many organizations require major restructuring. A permission based form of
communication has been incorporated to encourage the interchange of ideas and through this
process, broader consideration and compromise and change approval is gained (Wong &
Yeung, 2015).
In South Africa, the Department of Labor (1999) provides key guidelines on communication
with internal stakeholders which includes specification on consultation, awareness and
monitoring efforts considered central in corporate transformational strategies. While studying
the management of employee equity in South African complexities, Leonard & Grobler (2006)
argued that rigid communication strategies are unrealistic and a comprehensive
communication strategy needs to be formulated before the organization embark on the change.
In addition, Jick and Peiperl, (2003) added that south African leaders embarking on
transformation cannot do so with a once of rigidly orchestrated affair but would require
repetitive communication approaches.
5
Leadership development and change management tend to be top priorities for many
organizations. According to Davis (2003), leadership is seen as activities that can bubble up in
various institutional areas and no longer only focused on the formal leadership roles. It is a
role that involves solving problems, building organizational structures, taking the organization
in a new direction and initiating programs. Nadler & Nadler (1998) observed that leaders are
known as champions of change as it is the role of top management to keep the change process
going while maintaining operational reliability of the organization. Organizational managers
use various leadership behaviors to influence situational goals and the behaviors of employees.
However, one of the major concerns I organizations is the establishment of effective leadership
strategies that can maximize public interest on a tight budget (Bettencourt,2004).
Organizational changes are not always accepted whole heartedly by employees and this can be
attributed due to dispositional resistance or attitude towards the change. In Australia, Ryan,
Williams, Charles & Waterhouse (2008) noted that use of top down management is widely
used in bringing about changes in the public sector. Though effective in sustainability of high
level change support, it fails to permeate the organizational levels and achieve the changes in
day to day organizational operations. Results from the study concluded that a bottom up
approach creates more employee participation and less resistance. Transformational leadership
is often recommended as such leaders look beyond their self-interests and are willing to
transform themselves towards the collective objective (Oreg & Berson, 2011). A study on role
of transformational leadership in the education sector in Pakistan revealed that resistance was
more positively related to resistance intentions and negatively related to leaders’
transformational intentions. This however, did not moderate the relationship between teachers’
resistance and their intentions (Saleem & Naveed, 2017).
A study conducted by Perera, Shearon, Jackson and Lyne de Ver (2018) on change leadership
in Africa drew findings from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Ghana,
Tanzania, South Africa and Uganda where there was general dissatisfaction in existing rules
of the game which consequently gave way to transformational leadership. This form of
leadership was seen as different from the traditional management or individualistic leadership
in that it goes beyond technical and managerial competence by mobilizing collaboration and
resources while exercising political savviness. It was also noted that to have a good
6
understanding of leadership, examination of the interests and incentives of actors driving the
change in key building coalitions and facilitating followers.
Mercy Corps, a Portland Oregon USA based NGO developed a strategy to increase outreach
through conducting a series of mergers which highlighted a variety of challenges including
blending of cultures, people and systems, asset transfer and management of intangible
organization resources such as organizational pride. The organization learnt the hard way that
to make the change management process successful, significant time and resources from the
senior management team would be necessary. This management of change has allowed it to
effectively respond to the ever changing demands of the context of their work, by reshaping,
adapting, and consolidating itself based on local needs (Balasubramaniam and Jayawickrama,
2010).
In South Africa, the National Health Laboratory Service, an entity created for the provision of
laboratory services in the South African public sector, went through a transformation process
involving the amalgamation of five large independent pathology service providers. The change
process experienced failure in communication, human resource management and cultural
differences which resulted in resistance in the form of early retirements and resignation due to
fear of the unknown. In addition, a negative attitude towards the new merger was developed
among major stakeholders leading to a deficit of hundreds of millions of rand in the first year
of existence. A major contributor to this was identified as irregular communication as the
change progressed and lack of stakeholder involvement in the change process (Lebudi, 2010).
Organizations have incorporated various strategic change management practices which include
development of committed and flexible employees, an optimal organizational structure and
visionary leadership (Armstrong, 2006). A study was conducted in Mandera County on how
change management affected NGO’s experiencing organizational turbulence which included
introduction of new technology, shifts in leadership, outside border initiatives and
unpredictable issues arising from new products and services in the market (Adan and Muathe,
2018). The study recognized that the absence of proper leadership initiatives led to a negative
impact on the operations of the organization and meeting organizational objectives. In addition,
it was also concluded that a unit change in the participation of employees, even when all other
7
factors i.e. organizational culture, organizational leadership and organizational structure are
kept constant, would lead to a positive change in the performance of NGO’s in Mandera.
The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) was a nonprofit agricultural research
organization aimed at building a sustainable food future through boosting and enhancing the
nutritional quality of crops, making improvements in agricultural value chains and scaling up
investments in agriculture and agro-ecosystem sustainability (CIAT, 2019). Bioversity
International was 1974 established global research for development organizations aimed at
sustaining the planet through agricultural biodiversity, improved nutrition, resilience,
productivity and climate change adaptation (Bioversity International, 2020).
In November 2018, CIAT and Bioversity established the foundation for an Alliance with a
mission to deliver research based solutions while harnessing agricultural biodiversity and
transforming food systems to improve people’s lives. Four goals have been established with
the Alliance which include; Creating significant synergies leading to greater impact; Meeting
growing demand from partners and governments for science based solutions; Increasing our
capacity to address emerging issues and Creating a strong presence on the ground. While
establishing the alliance, both organization are set to encounter numerous strategic changes as
they integrate their systems to accomplish the overall objective of the alliance. Among the
changes to be encountered include changes in leadership, reengineering of the current running
programs within both organization, change in office locations and restructuring on internal
processes (CIAT, 2018).
Despite the numerous benefits the alliance is likely to bring, the establishment of this alliance
is a two-year process while that will be faced with numerous challenges. These include
organizational culture difference between the two organizations, resistance to new leadership
and program changes and new structure development. The management boards of both
organizations have jointly developed and change management teams equipped with change
agents responsible for the ensuring the smooth running of the change initiatives. while the
change process is likely to go on for the next two years, it is important to determine how the
internal factors will affect the change initiatives developed by the agents.
8
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Implementing change remains a difficult thing to pull off with organizations facing a 70% fail
rate in change initiatives (Beer & Nohria, 2000). Very often, management boards will often
come up with excellent change strategies to ensure the successful implementation of changes
but fail to adequately take cognizance of how internal factors can influence employee
perception to the change and overall success of the initiatives. All too often, employees are
expected accept change initiatives despite the fact they are ones expected to implement them.
Failure of management to place as much emphasis on the required internal factors such as
leadership, communication and employee commitment as they do the change initiatives often
leads to lack of ownership among employees which consequently increases the chance of
resistance while contributing to overall failure in the change endeavors. This is according to
the study by Lebudi (2010) on change management in the National Health Laboratory Service
in South Africa.
Burnes (2004) supported Guimarares & Armstrong’s (1998) argument that only superficial and
personal analyses have been conducted in the study of change management. Doyle (2002)
continued to argue that with the exception of a few research materials, practice and theory are
supported by mostly unchallenged assumptions about the nature of organizational change
management. According to Herscovitch and Meyer (2002), with the accelerating rates of
change complexities, it is not surprising that growing literature exists on organizational change,
however, what is surprising is the research on the employee reactions to change. Leadership
research in has primarily been discussed by numerous authors but little is known about the role
of leadership in organizational change management (Armstrong-Strassen, 1998; Grunig,
Grunig, & Dozier, 2002; Luthans & Sommer, 1999). Simoes & Esposito (2013) observed that
while the connection between communication and organizational change has attracted great
interest from scholars it is necessary to look into the processes while recognizing that sense
making and sense giving are not under complete control.
This research therefore aims to bridge the gap identified between various internal factors and
the success of change management particularly in NGOs while operating in a complex and
dynamic environment. Through this knowledge the study aims to help organizations going
9
through strategic changes by educating management on the internal factors that are likely to
cause resistance to change even when change initiatives are viewed as effective from the top.
1.3 Purpose of Study
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between internal factors and
successful change management practices adopted in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya.
1.4 Research Questions
1.4.1 To what extent does staff commitment influence the success of change management in
No Profit Organizations in Kenya?
1.4.2 How do communication channels influence the success organizational change
management in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya?
1.4.3 Do leadership styles influence the success of organizational change management in
Non Profit Organizations in Kenya?
1.5 Significance of Study
1.5.1 The Organization
The study will benefit the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT as it will aim towards
giving both management and employee a better understanding of the internal factors likely to
hinder the success of change initiatives introduced in the organization. The study will also be
a source of information on findings upon which the Alliance can incorporate into the decision
making process and enhance seamless organizational structure, culture and other ongoing
changes
1.5.2 Employees
The study will benefit employees by highlighting areas of competence in their leaders when
managing change. It will also enlighten them with the best practices available from, not just
from them, but from management, on how to effectively instill change initiatives within the
organization.
1.5.3 Policy Makers
10
The research will target policy makers such as organizational boards on Non-Governmental
organizations who are in need of practical solutions in the management of change initiatives
introduced into their organizations.
1.5.4 Researchers and Academicians
The research will add knowledge and value to researchers and academicians who will find the
content useful in the conceptualization and establishment of identifying trends and developing
data aimed are creating a hypothesis in further research on the internal factors and their
influence on change management.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The focus of the study shall be the The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
which are located in Nairobi County, Kasarani Area hosted by ICIPE Campus. The office has
it main Africa headquarters in Kenya while operating in over 20 other countries in Africa. The
overall headquarters is located in Cali, Colombia. The organization has a total population of
approximately 210 staff members in Africa. Other locations where staff were present included
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique
and Ethiopia. The target population of the study was all staff working in the regional office
include the management, researchers and support staff in the regional office. The study was
conducted from January 2020 to August 2020.
1.7 Definition of Terms
1.7.1 Change Management Check numbering in the sub-section
Change management is a system of dealing with the transition or transformation of an
organization's goals, processes or technologies by implementing strategies for effecting
change, controlling change and helping people to adapt to change (Rouse, 2019).
1.7.2 Leadership
Leadership is the ability to evaluate and or forecast a long term plan or policy and influence
the followers towards the achievement of the said strategy (Mayowa, 2009).
1.7.3 Communication Channels
11
Communication channels characterize the technical or formal side of the communication
process that allows the transfer of information from sender to receiver and vice versa (Satinsky,
(2017).
1.7.4 Employee Commitment
Employee Commitment is the intensity of an individual’s identification and contribution in a
particular organization or to a particular organizational cause (Mowday and Porter (1979).
1.8 Chapter Summary
In summary, the main purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between internal
factors and change management practices in Non-Profit Organization in Kenya focusing on
the Alliance between the International center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Bioversity
International located in Nairobi Kenya. The study focused on various internal factors affecting
change management practices in Non Profit Organizations which include staff commitment,
communication channels used in organizational change management processes and the core
leadership styles of managers in organizational change management processes.
The study will target a target population of approximately 135 employees in Africa consisting
of management, program staff and support staff. Gaps identified included lack of
decentralization of change management to organizational boards, rigid communication
methods more focus on the technical than human side, emphasis on top down management and
lack of overall commitment due to fear of the unknown. The next chapters in the study shall
focus of analysis of various literature covering the listed variable for the study. This literature
shall cover various authors and various studies to provide extensive background information
on the how the various change variables affect the perception of employees. The study shall
also cover the various research methodologies adopted and a provide a detailed summary of
the findings from the data.
12
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
The literature review aims review past literature on the effectiveness of change management
practices. Areas to be covered in the review of the literature will include the perceived
effectiveness of communication channels incorporated, the leadership traits perceived to be
effective when leading change and the various staff commitment strategies considered
effective in the change management process.
2.2 Staff Commitment and Strategic Change Management
Perception to change has been found to have a significant relationship with commitment.
Research has been done on the relationship between positive perception of employee
commitment to change and argued that the perceived benefits of change leads to higher
commitment and willingness to accept the changes. The importance of Human Resource is
highlighted by Nishii, Lepak and Schneider (2008) who stated that it can act as a reflection of
the commitment of management towards supporting employees embrace change while
consequently giving rise to successful organizational change efforts. Maheshwari and Vohra
(2015) observed that attention needs to be paid to the overall perception of HR practices in the
change process and their impact on change needs in the organization.
Employee commitment has been operationalized into three psychological states including
affective, continuance and normative. Affective Commitment is supported by the belief in the
inherent benefits of the change. Continuance Commitment arises from the perceived costs of
failing to do so. Normative Commitment is triggered by an obligation to support the change
(Herscovitch & Meyer, 2002). High affective commitment is likely to be exhibited by
employees who have a high emotional attachment to the change taking place or organization.
However, those with a long term relationship developed with the change or organization will
often lean towards continuance commitment to avoid the high switching costs associated with
moving away from the change. Finally, employees exhibiting high normative commitment feel
obligated to stay so as to achieve their targets. According to Meyer and Allen (1991) in order
to gain the greatest impact on employee behavior, affective commitment would be considered
the best option.
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Herscovitch and Meyer, (2002) also illustrated three different behavioral implications of the
three types of commitment in terms of focal and discretionary behavior. Both refer to actions
that contribute towards achievement of change objectives whereby focal behavior requires
minimal efforts while discretionary behaviors require extra efforts. Affective and normative
commitment types are more associated with both behaviors while continuance commitment is
only related to focal behaviors. Cunningham (2006) also contributed to the evidence for the
different implications of behavior on the three commitment types. He observed that turnover
intention was positively related to continuance commitment and negatively related to affective
and normative types.
2.2.1 Factors contributing towards employee commitment
2.2.1.1 Organizational Culture
Examining the organizational culture is a key aspect in fostering employee commitment. One
of the most common models in managing organizational culture is the Model of Cultural
Congruence where two dimension are introduced; organic vs mechanistic and internal vas
external positioning. From these, four typologies of organizational cultures are developed
which include; clan, adhocracy, hierarchy and market (McAdam & Donaghy, 1999). Cultures
that are clan oriented will take on a family like approach characterized with mentorship,
nurturing and doing things collectively; Adhocracy oriented cultures are risk taking and value
innovation and doing things first; Market oriented cultures will place emphasis on competitive
advantage, achievement and meeting objectives while cultures that are hierarchy oriented will
put focus on stability, efficiency and getting things done the right way (The Tipster, 2013).
Development of Human Resources and sustainability of morale and consequently commitment
is commonly evident in firms with a high score in clan oriented culture. Employees nurtured
in this culture have stronger affection levels as they are allowed more autonomy and exhibit
more loyalty to the organization (McGovern & Panaro, 2004). This is in line with a public
sector study which found that higher commitment levels were exhibited when civil servants
were allowed more flexibility and autonomy in their duties. Organizational culture types that
value teamwork over internal competition greatly increase employee commitment. A study by
Harris and Ogbonna’s (2000) echoed results whereby employees reacted more positively when
14
change initiatives were more participative in the decision making process which mirrors the
dominant attribute of the clan type culture.
2.2.1.2 Facilitative Leadership
Effectiveness of leadership is often considered key during the implementation of change
processes, especially in the case of large scale change projects that are considered holistic in
nature. Galbreath and Rogers (1999) proposed three key traits of an effective leader to gain
commitment when implementing large scale change initiatives, recognition of the strategic
nature of the change, ability to champion the vision within the organization and the ability to
be innovative. Employee commitment to a change initiative can further be fostered more
sustainably when the leader takes on a more facilitative role as a facilitator has the special
ability to encourage employees to consider and accept the change (Chonko, Jones, Roberts &
Dubinsky, 2002). This facilitative approach therefore counters the common and conventional
approach where leaders take on a more dictatorial rather than facilitative approach. Rather than
constantly telling people what to do, leaders are encouraged to listen to employee concerns and
encourage group learning. Since use of facilitative leadership encourages employee
participation, employee involvement increases thus making them more likely to commit to
further changes down the track (Rangarajan, Chonko, Jones & Roberts, 2004).
2.2.1.3 Cross Functional Integration
This is a practice often exhibited in mergers and alliances where two organizations are brought
together to meet a common objective despite these firms having differing processes, systems
and employees (Ford & Randolph, 1992). The extent to which this is practiced in an
organization further contributes towards the employee commitment towards the change.
Studies have shown that employees performing cross functional integration have a more
positive perception of their jobs. The process also breaks down information barriers between
the organizational departments further boosting employees’ commitment during
implementation of a change initiative (May & Kettelhut, 1996). A study in New Zealand on
CRM technology implementation in the banking sector highlighted integration of the
technological system was tailored more towards the operating structure of the bank and its
functional departments rather than the actual workflow exhibited i.e. silo mentality (Shum et
al, 2006).
15
2.2.1.4 Training
When incorporating change into an organization, business practices are likely to change with
the introduction of new procedures and technologies which will inevitably cause disruption in
the organization. One of the most effective ways to manage this change with minimal
disruptions is applying effective training to strengthen employee commitment. Incorporation
of training plays two major roles including clarification of employees’ role in the change
implementation process while setting the scene on the process of achievement of the firm’s
goals with fellow employees. According to Robey, Ross and Bourdeau (2002), Training also
contributes towards elimination of barriers to knowledge assimilation which eventually
contributes towards more commitment to the change initiatives. This also helps them acquire
operational skills and facilitates an appreciation of the philosophy and goals behind the
proposed change. Scholars have conducted similar studies which have confirmed training to
be the main contributor to positive commitment from staff with regards to large scale change
initiatives (Lau & Herbert, 2001). The study by Shum et al (2006) indicated that lack of
adequate training can cause employees to take on more drastic actions such as resigning. In the
case of introduction of customer relationship management in banks in New Zealand, managers
were quoted indicating that they resigned for the sole reason of inadequate training.
Other factors considered to contribute towards staff commitment include communication and
technology. Communication plays a key role in the change process as it ensures that all persons
within the organization fully understand the vision, progress and the possible outcomes and
consequences of the proposed change (Roy, Roy & Bourdeau, 1998). While many
organizations communicate upcoming change to follower, few set out a vision on why exactly
they want to implement the change. Incorporating communication in the change process also
plays a key role in setting the expectation for employees to be able to anticipate what is likely
to arise from the change. A study conducted by Shum et al (2006) on the introduction of
customer related management technology (CRM) into banks in New Zealand indicated that
employees could have committed to the change earlier if their expectations were managed
properly. Staff could not clearly see the results of the change thus were not able to change their
actions to meet the results.
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An organization’s capability in incorporating and integrating technology can greatly influent
the success of change management practices. Technology, when used internally, call allow for
information availability throughout the whole change process while equipping employees with
in-depth information to be used when needed. Externally, on the other hand, it can allow for
integration of multiple touch points with external stakeholders ensuring efficient and consistent
dissemination of the message (Payne & Frow,2004). Proper use of technology not only
facilitates the performance of employees but also encourages active participation while
reducing ambiguity through applying a better defined job scope (Shum, Bove & Auh, 2006).
Organizations should be aware of the appropriateness of the change management technological
tools incorporated with the change process by making sure it aligns with the overall objective
of the initiated change and the organization as a whole (Black & Lynch, 2001)
2.2.2 Employee Commitment through Engagement
2.2.2.1 The needs-satisfaction framework
This was first reflected by Khan (1990) where he concluded that employees are likely to be
engaged in change processes when three psychological needs are satisfied including
meaningfulness, safety and availability. Meaningfulness involves a sense of return in role and
self-investment in the change and is often influenced by the nature of the job. Safety involves
the freedom of expression without negative consequences to status and career and is influenced
by the social environment i.e. intergroup dynamics, management styles, interpersonal
relationships and organizational norms. Availability refers to the sense of possession of
necessary physical, emotional and psychological resources required to invest oneself in the
change. It depends on the personal resources that employees bring forth to the role and the
change such as physical and emotional energies, insecurity and the outside life (Sun, 2019).
2.2.2.2 The Job Demand-Resources Model
According to Salanova, Agut and Peiro (2005), this model affects employee engagement as
different organizations are confronted by different environments whose characteristics can be
divide into Job demands and Job resources. This therefore provides an overarching model that
can be incorporated into various occupational settings despite the particular resources and
demands involved. Job demands in this case include physical social, organizational and
17
psychological job aspects that requires sustained cognitive and emotional effort thus are often
associated with both psychological and physiological costs. These costs include poor
environmental conditions, reorganization problems, work pressure and overload of roles
(Bakker, Demerouti & Euwema, 2005). Job resources on the other hand involve job aspects
that are functional in the achievement of work goals, reduce job demands and costs and
simulate personal growth and development. This model is commonly used to explain the
common assumptions that employees are more engaged and committed to organizational
change when job-related resources are made available by the organization.
2.2.2.3 The Social Exchange Theory
Levinson (1965) believed this to be a stronger rationale to explain employee engagement where
he identified employment as a transaction between loyalty, labor, interest and rewards. An
element of reciprocity exists between the employer-employee relationship whereby a request
for return results in benefits for both parties despite the party gaining preferential treatment.
Employees will show loyalty and work hard for the organization in exchange for the social and
economic benefits gained thus creating a foundation for the relationship between the
organization and the employee. According to Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison and Sowa
(1986), an existence of high levels of organizational support during a change will create
individual obligation to repay the organization and contribute towards conducive attitudes and
behaviors in the organization. An argument by Saks (2006) was presented stating that
employees will repay their organization through engagement levels in varying degrees
responding to resources received from the organization.
2.3 Communication and Strategic Change Management
The main reason behind change communication is to reduce resistance among followers.
Organizational communication has the function of explaining the change to all involved actors
and addressing the informational and emotional needs of employees adequately. Employees
who are unable to adequately assess the consequences of the change are the ones more likely
to oppose it. Lewis, Schmisseur, Stephens, and Weir (2006), found that the higher the
employees perceived the quality of the change information the lower the resistance.
Communication perceived to be as honest avoids common negative feeling such as stress
which consequently leads to a decrease in commitment and enthusiasm. At the same time, Oreg
18
(2006) indicated that a larger amount of information may give rise to negative ratings. The
contradictions in the results therefore suggest that in addition to the amount of information, the
clarity of it is equally as essential when trying to promote positive reactions from followers on
the change process.
2.3.1 The Role of Communication in Change Management
2.3.1.1 Communication to Provide Information
According to De Ridder (2003), the first role of change communication is to inform employees
of the actual change and their role and tasks in the change. The information disbursed should
have the ability to address not only the reasons or the need for the change but the potential
worries that employees might initially have as the change is introduced. In this case, the
employees play the role of the receiver of information while information originates from
management as the sender. Malek and Yazdanifard (2012) concurred with this stating that
change communication should announce organizational changes to stakeholders on the timing,
significance and nature of the change while both motivating and educating employees to
support the change (Barrett, 2002). Feedback on progress made in accomplishing
organizational objectives is also important in change communication
2.3.1.2 Communication as a Method of Creating Community
The second goal of change communication is creating a community (De Ridder, 2003). This
increases the trust, commitment and identification with the management at organization
overall. Organizations that involve their employees in the change process while taking their
feedback seriously are able to create a platform for open employee participation and
consequently contributing towards creating a sense of community (Weber & Weber, 2001).
Employees tend to be strongly committed to change when adequate information is presented
via both formal and informal channels. A study by Postmes, Tanis and de Wit (2001) found
that less commitment was predicted using socio emotional than formal communication while
less commitment was predicted using interpersonal communication than with senior
management.
2.3.1.3 Communication in Managing Uncertainty and Job Security
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Uncertainty during the organizational change process is usually as a result of the reason,
process and impact of the change and their implication of the firm’s employees. This
uncertainty in employees reflects in the perceived implications on employees or the work
environment and is often accompanied with questions such as “will I still have my job after
the change? Will my co-workers change? Can I still perform my tasks in the same way?”
(Elving, 2005). This clearly shows that job insecurity is a special notion with uncertainty
during organizational change. Uncertainty is likely to unveil when changes to be adapted by
employees are not effectively communicated and thus leads to rumors and other informal forms
of communication. The uncertainty and change information quality levels experienced during
organizational change is often positively related with the extent of informal communication
taking place (De Witte, 1999).
2.3.2 Effective Communication Practices
2.3.2.1 Communication Categories
When studying change communication, Russ (2008) discovered to different categories of
change communication; the programmatic approach and the participatory approach. The
programmatic approach is very centralized and characterized by top down management
communication and a high sense of control. Organizations incorporating this approach are able
to select relevant information for the various target groups and frame it for the purpose of the
change. It however disregards employee opinions and consequently becoming a risk for
resistance. The participatory approach on the other hand focuses of dialogical communication
enabling them to feel empowered and generating acceptance. However, Lewis (2011)
emphasized on distinguishing between implementing symbolic participation and its actual use
as a resource.
2.3.2.2 Monologic vs Dialogic Communication
Heath (2006) deduced that on several occasions, when implementing organizational change,
the activities designed to promote dialogic communication exchange are not achieved.
Participants are mostly engaged in a monologic communication system whereby they are
allowed to voice opinions and concerns without the possibility of influencing the change
process. In order to operationalize the differences between monologic and dialogic it is worth
20
building up on the concept of dialogue from Heath et al (2006) which states “dialogue as the
ability to state your perspectives, values, and desires while remaining. open to the perspectives,
values, and desires of others.”
2.3.2.3 Early and Complete Information
Early communication is considered essential in the success of large scale change initiatives
through top management. This is especially so because missing formal information very
commonly leads to spreading of rumors throughout the organization as staff do not have
reliable information (Lips, 2012). This leads to speculation of the extent of the impact and
background of the change which can consequently lead to stress for both the leaders and
followers. Gergs and Trinczek (2005) argued that when communicating an upcoming change,
it does not matter if the information at that particular point is incomplete. It is better to
communicate changes at the earliest time possible while also informing them of the
incompleteness of the information.
It is also worth noting that resistance does not only arise from the followers but from the change
or communication agents. Ford, Ford, and D’Amelio (2008) noted that if agents of change do
not receive counter arguments in the content of the change process, the change is not likely to
occur successfully. Participants in such cases are considered as objects, thus setting the scene
for monologic participation. It is worth noting that not all participation would lead to
minimization of resistance from followers, but excessive incorporation of monologic
participation would in fact highly contribute towards resistance.
2.3.2.4. The ECCo - Style
Edmonds (2011) developed the emphatic change communication style (ECCo-Style) which
enables leaders to cope with deliberate large-scale changes easier and more successfully. It is
in fact quite simple as it does not need, for example, special knowledge of modern
communication tools. Also it is not really difficult to adapt, if empathy is already one of the
leader’s characteristics. Some of the most important aspects highlighted when managing
change using the emphatic change communication style include expressing empathy, being
aware of one’s verbal and non-verbal communication, praising good work, using anger and
anxieties as stimuli for alterations, developing reliability and safeness.
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2.3.3 Communication Approaches
2.3.3.1 Communication as a tool
Lewis et al (2006) analyzed some of the bestselling books in the USA on change management
that stressed the importance of the following elements a) wide participation, b) wide
dissemination and c) communication of the vision and purpose for justification. However, this
was criticized to be underspecified, acontextual and unfamiliar with theoretical literature. An
assumption was identified that implementation problems and resistance are likely to disappear
when employees are offered information and understand their role in the whole process. In this
case communication is now trimmed down to be a tool used in declaring and explaining the
“what, who, when and how” of the proposed change. Goodman and Truss (2004) emphasize
that both process and content of a communication strategy are crucial to the outcome thus
emphasizing the importance of timing, matching communication strategies to employee
profiles, appropriate incorporation of media, flexibility and minimization of uncertainty.
2.3.3.2 Communication as a Social process
The change process takes place in the context of communication and human interactions thus
regarded as an occasion for the development of new social realities (Johansson & Heide, 2008).
Implemented change initiatives create a new reality through communication. When change
initiatives are presented to employees, they immediately try to make sense of it so as to
understand the potential effects on themselves, their colleagues and their respective
departments. These sense making processes might resolve uncertainties and ambiguities but
are not considered a prerequisite for the choice of alternative actions. Sense making is
therefore a social process that occurs through proper communication, for example, when a
change initiative is introduced, people immediately start talking about it and a situation that
constitutes a base for action is talked into existence. Taylor and Van Every (2000) emphasize
that the most powerful interventions of change occur during day to day conversations as
employees within an organization have different backgrounds, education, interests and
positions, thus making sense of the same situation indifferent ways. Individual level Sense
making will often shape it at an organizational level which consequently demonstrates the
mutual interaction and influence of change programs and individual responses over time.
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Communication is bound to bring rise to a new reality of the change programs thus highlighting
that change will always be seen through with the proper use of communication. This idea was
approached by Tsoukas and Chia (2002) who backed not only a process oriented approach, but
emphasized the important role of communication in the change process. A firm must be viewed
as an evolving property of change i.e. as something that is able to continually adapt as
employees take action, communicate and improvise while paying attention to the turbulent
environment. There can however not be full control on the firm’s ability to adapt even when
the changes are driven by external factors or proposed by the organization’s management.
2.3.3.3 Communication as a Social Transformation
Researchers who view communication as a social transformation closely examine the
relationship between communication and action. Focus is given on the negotiation of social
change and performance through dialogue. Francis (2007) found control and empowerment to
be two coevolving and overlying discourses. Generation of increased participation from
workers is challenged by change leaders who lean towards a command and control style of
leadership. The challenging and creation of present power relations by the discourses is further
highlighted while becoming potential scuffle sites where various group compete to give rise to
the social reality.
2.4 Leadership and Strategic Change Management
The success of organizational change interventions heavily relies on people’s ability to see
them through to completion. A theory that has gained a lot of interest over the last decade is
the Implicit Leadership Theory (ILT). It follows a follower-centric approach by focusing on
the expectations that followers have on leaders. However, it is recognized that implementation
of organizational changes requires a different set of behaviors and traits compared to the
commonly known leadership traits. Hence the development of the Implicit Change Leadership
Theory (ICLT) came into exploration. Magsaysay and Hechanova (2016), while studying
change leadership in the Philippines suggested that the extent to which followers perceive
change management to be successful depends on their assumption on change and its
management.
Various authors have crafted competencies required for the successful management of
organizational change. According to Marcus and Pringle (1995) various attributes exist for
23
leaders managing change including, management of resistance, mastery of change, a learning
appetite and influence without authority. Buchanan and Boddy (1992) Built on this by
incorporating change management, specification in goal clarity, commitment stimulation,
motivation and creating buy on plans and ideas from others. Lastly, Higgs and Rowland (2000)
change leadership competency clusters such as change initiation, impact, facilitation,
leadership, learning, execution, presence and technology. These competencies were developed
in ICLT due to their common absence in ILT.
2.4.1 Implicit Change Leadership Traits
2.4.1.1 Strategic and Technical Competencies
Strategic and technical competencies are vital in instituting a leader’s effectiveness in
modifying an organization’s work and employee tasks to the dynamic nature of the
environment. Firms achieve better when a balance exists between changes occurring internally
and those occurring in the external environment i.e. the industry. Therefore, for leaders,
proactivity and being a strategic visionary follow the general theory on change leadership while
maintaining consistency with change literature. Technical competencies such as
knowledgeability, analytics and innovation are often combined with strategic competencies.
This therefore proves that leaders are not only required to lead and support the change but offer
direction though incorporation of gained knowledge and visionary thinking (Hechanova &
Franco, 2012).
2.4.1.2 Execution Competencies
Job satisfaction and organizational commitment have been closely linked to the success of
change execution which gives rise to the link between strategy and execution. According to
Zagotta and Robinson (2002) quality change execution does not only present the true value of
a strategy, but may also be considered more significant than the quality of the strategy itself.
Leaders are therefore required to take on a hands on approach in change execution of key
changes particularly in decision making and action driving while retaining a balance between
empowerment and coaching. A study by Sherlock-Storey (2013) corroborated that participants
exhibited positive changes in confidence and resilience during organizational change when
coaching in incorporated.
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2.4.1.3 Social Competencies
Social Competencies, as listed by Magsaysay and Hechanova (2016) include an array of
competencies including communication, building trust, empathy, giving support and
approachability. These competencies Counter traits such as authority, cordiality,
communication styles, empathy, thoughtfulness, tact, and other interpersonal skills highlighted
by Bass and Bass (2008). Beyond interpersonal skills, the dimension reflects on competencies
considered specific to change leadership such as not being distrustful and participatory which
supports classic change management literature that indicate that change resentment and
resistance occur when information is not made available and stakeholders are not involved in
the development of solutions.
2.4.1.4 Character and resilience
This is another construct identified in the study by Magsaysay and Hechanova (2016) with the
manifested behaviors listed as honesty, leading by example, credibility and respect. There is
plenty of literature on character with a common theme signified by the deduction of Allio
(2009) who deduced that competency, ethical behavior and embodiment of integrity are
necessary traits for a leader to be considered effective. Resilience is a concept that emerges in
ICLT though not so much in ILTs. The study by Magsaysay and Hechanova (2016), it was
equated to positivity, adaptability, composure under pressure and not being emotional. Other
studies included traits such as being relaxed, tough mindedness and emotional control. A study
by Avey, Luthans and Jensen (2009) expounded by stating that openness to new experience
and emotional stability in harsh conditions is expected in resilient individuals. These traits are
considered important as they contribute towards the successful implementation of change.
2.4.2 Effective Leadership Practices
2.4.2.1 The Role of the Environment
Perera, Shearon, Jackson and Lyne der Ver (2018), while conducting a study on what enables
or disables leadership for transformational change in Africa, creating an environment
conducive for change is one of the major enablers for change. These could be seen when
studying the burdensome financing system in Ghana and neglect in DRC leading to insecurity
and under development. In both cases, a conducive environment was present contributing
25
towards citizens understanding that the current status quo did not benefit them. However, the
leadership approaches differed whereby, in Ghana, the environment was seen as an external
factor towards transformational leadership as citizens were fully aware of the financing
problem in the health sector and there was public demand for changes. On the other hand, in
DRC, citizens became accustomed to government inaction towards the neglected east country
giving rise to a youth led movement aimed at creating the conducive environment. Recognizing
the ripe moments was therefore seen as a critical element in convincing people that changing
the status quo would be in the benefit of the followers.
2.4.2.2 Top Down Vs Bottom Up Participation
Fullan (2007) provided an approach to change management leadership whereby authorization
should be top down and participation should be bottom up. In addition, he also added that for
change to be successfully implemented, there should be an effective monitoring and evaluation
mechanism. He emphasized that it should never be overlooked that supervision without the
adequate support to change would not only cause resistance but wasting of resources. A
balance therefore needs to be in place between support and supervision when handling
organizational change management.
2.4.2.3 Political Skills
Political savvy has also been seen as an important element in leading transformational change.
In most cases, individuals or small groups are seen as responsible for leading changes,
however, a wider coalition of change agents is required as a buy in into the change which could
be seen in the study of the Saldanha Bay in South Africa where the Municipal Manager was
able to transform the status of the socioeconomic environment by reaching over party lines and
collaborating with other institutions (Matheson, 2012). This therefore establishes that the
ability to bring together a coalition of actors is a major enabler of effecting change. An
important hypothesis arising from the study by Perera, (2018) on transformational change
through a youth led movement, LUCHA, is that the success of transformational change lays in
the idea behind the change and not the individuals behind it.
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2.4.2.4 Motivation and Rewards
McKinsey Quarterly (2009) reasons that throughout the transformation process, leaders should
set high performance expectations and reward behaviors directed towards fulfilling the vision
of the change. It is equally important that leaders model the behaviors required in the
institutionalization of the change by setting the standards that the rest of the organization can
emulate. This is emphasized by Kotter’s study where he argued that change sticks only if it is
considered “the way we do things here” as it seeps into the bloodstream of the organization.
Mukabe (2016), while studying the predictors of effective change management stated that
effective leaders need to motivate and inspire people to do what needs to be done in the change
process. Kotter describes this as creating short term wins which also involves setting targets
that are easy to achieve. Employees should therefore be rewarded when they achieve the
required targets.
2.4.3 Leadership Barriers to Effective Change Management.
2.4.3.1 Barriers in the Preparation Phase
According to a case by Bruch, Gerber and Maier (2005), change management fails when
leaders fail to recognize the role of change agents. These are employees who know how to
drive the change, their importance was further emphasized by Mossholder (1993) who stated
that change agents play a big role as they understand employee behavior, attitudes and mindset
prior to the change. Another leadership barrier in change management is bad decision making
and inability to develop the purpose of the change to include the long term perspective.
Planning of resources must be organized as failure to do so fails to create a sense of urgency.
In addition to this, leaders fail when they are unable to ensure that employees have both the
ability and capability to handle the changes (Safar, Zayod, Fulop, Defields & Dowd et al.2006).
According to Bruch et al. (2005), change efforts fail when leaders do not consider the existing
norms, values and traditions already existing within the organization. This was emphasized by
Phelan (2005) who stated that fostering a culture in alignment with the change will reduce
uncertainty and anxiety often attributed with change as new norms and values are created. It is
therefore the responsibility of leaders to accurately diagnose the culture of the organization as
27
failure to identify the underlying beliefs, values and assumptions will lead to misalignment of
the culture to the change (Armenakis & Lang, 2014).
2.4.3.2 Barriers in the Implementation Stage
A common leadership barrier in change management is lack of commitment from the leaders
themselves and lack of leadership skills. Leaders play a key role in the change process and thus
commitment and skills are of vital importance as change recipients are in need of leadership
support throughout the change process (Barrat, Bahn & Gakere, 2013). Change initiatives
cannot be successful if leaders are not able to motivate their employees and enhance their
confidence. Both leaders and change agents should be able to listen and learn from employees
in order to have a good understanding of how to approach them while at the same time not
limiting their individual freedom (Klonek, Lehmann-Willenbrock & Kauffeld, 2014).
Another hindrance to change management was identified by Buchanan, Claydon and Doyle
(1999) who emphasized that middle management who do not have the right expertise in
managing change could affect employee attitudes towards it. Bruch et al. (2005) concurred
with this by stating the importance of decision making in managers while ensuring that the
decisions are made in the right order and focusing on significant aspects. These authors
discovered that it is common for managers not to consider the resistance factor in decision-
making while forgetting to include the relevant members of the organization and this can
inhibit commitment. Middle managers therefore have the responsibility to clarify the suitable
ways to change while helping employees view the change from the perspective of the initiators.
However, this is often characterized by contradiction of messages from top management which
becomes an indication of managers being stuck in the middle (Bergström, Styhre & Thilander,
2014).
2.4.3.3 Barriers in the Institutionalization Stage
According to Kotter (1995) change projects fail when leaders declare victory too early which
can often lead to the organization going back to the initiation stage when consultants are given
the “thank you, goodbye” too early. Another barrier occurs when leaders simplify the change
requirements while either requesting too much or setting extreme deadlines which often leads
to stress and confusion and consequently leading to resistance. It is therefore the responsibility
28
of leaders to reduce the amount of activities that counteract each other (Safar et al. 2006).
Kotter also suggested leaders should focus more on short term wins than declarations of victory
so as to gain credibility and also act as an indicator of the organization moving forward.
Another soft barrier to change management leadership is the role of culture in the
institutionalization of change. Leaders fail when they are unable to make the change process
align with the current culture in the organization. It is important that they recognize that some
methods of change management are more suitable for more dynamic cultures while some are
more suitable with rigid cultures (Bruch et al. 2005). In order for change leader to effectively
institutionalize a transformation into an organization, it is vital that the main goal should
making the new change “the way we do things around here,”. Consequently, as employees
embrace the change as a social norm, it eventually becomes institutionalized into the
organization (Kotter, 1995).
2.5 Chapter Summary
The chapter reviewed various literature sources from different scholars on various internal
factors and their impact on change management. The review of staff commitment highlighted
the various factors contributing towards staff commitment which include organizational
culture, facilitative leadership, cross functional integration and training while also emphasizing
on the importance of technology and communication when leading change. The review on
communication practices looks into effective communication practices and the various ways
communication can be used in an organization e.g. as a tool, as a social process and as a social
transformation. The review on leadership attributes revealed the Implicit Change Leadership
Theory (ICLT) as it highlighted the role of leaders when managing change. The review looks
into various aspects such as the various traits of a leader as per ICLT which include strategic
and technical competencies, social competencies, character and resilience while highlighting
key leadership practices and the leadership barriers to effective change management.
Chapter three looks into the research design that shall be incorporated, the population, sample
design, the data collection method, research procedures and data analysis method that shall be
used in the study. Chapter four shall provide an analysis of the data collected and chapter five
shall present the final findings, discussion, conclusion and recommendations drawn from the
study.
29
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
The chapter presents a discussion of the methodology and procedure incorporated in data
collection and analysis. The chapter outlines the research design, the population and sampling
design, the data collection methods incorporated, research procedures and data analysis
methods used. A summary of the chapter will be provided at the end of the chapter.
3.2 Research Design
A research design can be defined as the blue print used in the collection, measurement and
analysis of data (Trochim, 2006). It provides a glue that holds the research project while
integrating it as a whole. Weathington, Cunningham and Ittenger (2010) defined it as the
researcher’s overall guide in answering a research question or testing hypotheses. The study
will adopt an explanatory research design which will use both qualitative and quantitative
approaches in the overall strategy of collecting data so as to obtain a sufficient understanding
of the problem from the perspective of the participants. This design allows the researcher to
connect ideas while understanding the cause and effect among the variables rather than simply
describing the studied explanatory. According to Maxwell and Mittipali (2000), explanatory
research is quantitative in nature and is used to test prior hypothesis through measuring the
relationships between variables and analyzing data through statistical techniques.
A survey questionnaire was administered to the sample of respondents selected from the
identified. A survey research aims to collect data from targeted respondents so as to describe
existing phenomena by asking them about their perception, attitudes, behavior and values.
Surveys allow the collection of data from a sample in a specific population or the population
as a whole. In addition, it provides an exploration of two or more variables at a given point in
time.
3.3 Population and Sampling Design
3.3.1 Population
A target population can be defined as the part of the population that a researcher is interested
in conducting research in (Given, 2008). The study targeted the employees of the International
Center for Tropical Agriculture. Coopers and Schindler (2000), on the other hand, defined a
30
population the total number of elements from which a researcher wishes to make inferences.
The study population comprised of 180 staff from the Alliance consisting of management,
programmes staff and support or support staff as per the table shown below.
Table 3.1 Population Distribution
Cadre Number Percentage
Management 12 7%
Programmes 112 62%
Support 56 31%
Total 180 100%
(CIAT, 2020)
3.3.2 Sampling Design
3.3.2.1 Sampling Frame
According to Turner (2003), a sampling frame is termed as a set of source materials from which
the sample is selected. It can also be defined as a list of all elements within a population that
can be sampled and can include individuals, households or institutions (Singh, 2008). For the
study, the sampling frame to be used for the study included all staff of the alliance obtained
from the Human Resource office. The constitutes a total of 210 staff.
3.3.2.2 Sampling Technique
The study incorporated the stratified method of sampling. This is a probability sampling
technique whereby the entire target population is divide into sub groups or strata and randomly
selecting the final subjects proportionally as per the different strata. The technique was used in
the selection of respondents upon receiving a list from the Human Resource Department so as
to ensure all levels of staff were included. This technique was chosen for the following reasons;
1) to increase the statistical efficiency of the sample, 2) to receive adequate data for analysis
of the various strata and 3) to enable different research methods and procedures to be used in
different strata (Coopers & Schindler, 2000).
The study population comprised of three strata within the Alliance comprising of Management,
Program Researchers and Support Staff. Upon dividing the population into strata, simple
31
random sampling was used as a method of selecting the appropriate population elements from
the strata.
3.3.2.3 Sample Size
A sample is defined as a small fraction of an entire population (Lohr, 2010). The verification
of a sample size is the act of selecting a number of observations or duplications to include in a
statistical sample (Singh, 2008). This allows the researcher to make generalizations about the
population.
According to Vogt, Gardner and Haeffele (2012), when carrying out a study, 25%- 50% of the
population yield is adequate. Therefore, for the study, 75% of the population of the total
population was selected to be sample representative of the study which is adequate.
Table 3.2 Sample Size Distribution ensure that all your tables are in APA style
Cadre Number Percentage
Management 10 5%
Researcher 83 66%
Non Researcher 42 29%
Total 135 100%
Source: CIAT (2020)
3.4 Data Collection Methods
Data collection can be defined as the process of gathering information for the purpose of
drawing a conclusion (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003). Due to the fact that the changes being
incorporated in the organization are very recent, not much research has been thus the need to
use primary data. Primary data was therefore collected through the use of structured
questionnaires which were administered to all staff within the organization. A structured
questionnaire can be defined as a formal list of questions deigned for the purpose of obtaining
factual information (Fielding, 2010). The questionnaire comprised of both closed and open
ended questions. The use of questionnaires was preferred due to the ability of the respondents
to give anonymous answers and will facilitate the collection of a large amount of data within
a short period of time.
32
The questionnaire was apportioned into five sectors. The first section pursued the general
information of the respondents. The second section sought the respondents grasp of the change
management concept. The third section sought answers on the relationship between staff
commitment and effective change management. The fourth section sought answers on the
relationship between communication practices and effective change management while the
fifth section sought answers on the relationship between leadership and change management.
Data collected in both soft copy together with any related material was treated with utmost
confidence which would only be accessible to the researcher. All data collected was stored in
hard drives with enough space to store both audio and video data collected would only be
accessible to the researcher. Other parties interested in accessing the data would do so after
filling a confidentiality form. The study only took place after clearance from USIU-Africa’s
IRB and NACOSTI.
3.5 Research Procedures
A questionnaire was developed by the researcher based on the developed research questions.
Arksey and O’Malley (2005) stated that testing the reliability and validity of a data collection
instrument is imperative. Therefore, once developed, the questionnaire was pilot tested through
administration to 10 randomly selected staff members of the target population who were
excluded from the final. The pilot study aimed to improve the validity of the questionnaire by
ensuring the respondents had a good understanding of the questions presented. Amendments
resulting from the pilot study were incorporated into the final copy of the questionnaire which
were later presented to the respondents.
Data was collected between the months of June 2020 to July 2020. A formal approach was
done to the prospective organization and respondents and a request presented to participate in
the study. Questionnaires were distributed online using survey monkey during normal working
hours and a three-week period was given to respondents to allow respondents to fill in the
questionnaires completely and comprehensively. For this study, permission was sought from
the organization to conduct the research. This was done through approaching the Human
Resource manager, the Regional Director and the Change Manager at Headquarters for a go
ahead to conduct the study. In order to ensure that there is a significant response rate, an email
reminder was after every week until all the questionnaires are received.
33
3.6 Data Analysis Methods
Data analysis can be defined as a methodical organization and blend of research data and using
it to test research hypotheses (Creswell & Plano, 2010). It also involves the analysis,
classification, ordering, manipulation and condensation of the data and describing them in
expressive terms (Pearson, 2010). Data collected for the study was stored in an appropriate
format for purposed of future analysis. The study featured quantitative and qualitative methods
of data analysis.
For closed ended questions, the analysis included descriptive measures such as charts, tables
and graphs to compare the results from the different groups. The tables highlighted the
responses and variables while charts and graphs were used for the illustration of the
summarized findings. Statistical frequencies and percentages were also incorporated. The
analysis process incorporated the excel spreadsheets and SPSS for analysis of closed ended
questions. Incorporation of inferential analysis of data such as and regression analysis were
also used to highlight the significance of the relationships between the dependent and
independent variables. Qualitative analysis was used for the open ended questions. Open ended
questions are those that do not have a definite answer and allow respondents to give a free form
answer or give answers in their own words. The regression incorporated the use of the Linear
Regression Model to determine the relationship between the independent and dependent
variables using the formula Y = β0 + βnXn+ ε where Y= Dependent variable, β0=regression
constant, β1=Beta Coefficient, Xn= Independent Variable and ε = error term
3.7 Chapter Summary
The chapter focused on the research methodology used in carrying out the study. An
explanatory research design was applied in accomplishing the study. The population of the
study consisted of all staff of the alliance between the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture in Africa and Bioversity International who are 135 in total. Stratified sampling
technique was incorporated whereby the population was divided into strata consisting of
Management, Program Researchers and Support Staff. Simple random sampling was also used
to give the elements in the population an equal chance of being selected. Primary data was
used in the study and was collected using a self-administered questionnaire which was
distributed directly to the population. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected and
34
analyzed through the use excel, SPSS and statistical analysis tools presented through tables
and figures. The following chapter will cover the major findings from the data collection
process while final chapter shall cover the findings, discussion, recommendations and
conclusion of the study.
35
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS AND FINDINGS
4.1 Introduction
The chapter describes the results and findings of the research study. Results and findings
include those relating to the extent to staff management, communication channels and
leadership styles affect the success of change management change management practices of
Non Profit Organizations in Kenya. The chapter concludes with a chapter summary
4.2 Response Rate
The study targeted a population of 135 respondents and obtained 100 responses. This
represents a 74% response rate which is considered satisfactory in making conclusions
according to the study by Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) who indicate that a 50% response
rate is adequate, 60% is good while anything above 70% is considered very good.
Figure 4.1: Response Rate
4.3 Demographic Factors
4.3.2 Respondents Gender
The descriptive statistics show that majority of respondents accounting for 57% were male
while 43% were female as shown in the figure 4.2. This reveals that both genders were amply
represented for the study.
74%
26%
Response Non Response
36
Figure 4.2: Respondents Gender
4.3.2 Work Department
When analyzing the work departments of the various respondents, 5% indicated that they are
in management, 66% indicated that they are in Programmes while 29% fell under the support
functions which include Finance. Human Resource, Operations and Administration. This
indicated the data covered all departments without bias while highlighting that Programmes
play a major role in meeting the objectives of the organization.
Figure 4.3: Work Department
57%
43% Male
Female
5.00%
66.00%
29.00%
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES SUPPORT (FINANCE, HR, OPERATIONS, ADMINISTRATION
ETC)
37
4.3.3 Highest Level of Education
The study sought to determine the level of highest level of education attained by the
respondents. 1% of respondents have high school as their highest level of education, 2%
indicates certificate, 4% indicated diploma, 24% indicated an undergraduate degree, 48%
indicated a Masters degree and 21% indicated a doctorate degree as their highest level of
education. This shows that majority of the respondents have literacy to comprehend the
questions asked.
Figure 4.4: Highest Level of Education
4.3.4 Years of Work at the Alliance
When asked the number of years the respondents worked in the Alliance, 7% of the respondents
indicated that they worked for less than 1 year, 62% had worked for 1-5 years, 20% worked
for 6-10 years, 3% worked for 11-15 years while 8% had worked in the Alliance for over 15
years as summarized in the figure 4.4. This implies that majority of the respondents have been
in the organization long enough to experience and give opinions on the changes going on.
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%
1% 2% 4%
24%
48%
21%
38
Figure 4.5: Years of Work at the Alliance
4.3.5 Respondents Age
When analyzing the age of the respondents, results established that majority of the respondents
accounting for 45% were aged between 36-45 years. Those aged between 18-25 were the
minority accounting for 1%. 31% were aged between 26-35 years while 22% accounted for
respondents aged above 45 years. This indicated that CIAT has mature employees who are
able to facilitate the change management.
Figure 4.6: Respondents Age
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Less than 1 year 1 - 5 years 6 -10 years 11 - 15 years Over 15 years
7%
62%
20%
3%8%
Series1
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
18 - 25 years 26 - 35 years 36 - 45 years Above 46 years
1%
31%
45%
22%
39
4.4 The Influence of Staff Commitment on Success of Change Management
The first objective sought the influence of staff commitment on the success of change
management initiatives. To accomplish this, respondents were tasked to rate their answers
using a scale with following choices 1- Strongly Disagree, 2-Agree, 3-Neutral, 4-Agree and 5-
Strongly Agree.
4.3.1 Descriptive of Staff Commitment
Analysis of the results indicated that majority of respondents highly favored the staff
commitment aspects that relate to the success of change management initiatives. Staff highly
believed that the change would be beneficial in the long run (m=3.92, SD=0.73) and that
training is a very important element in accepting the changes taking place (M=3.91, SD=1.00).
In addition, a very significant number believed that staff commitment was the most important
element in managing change (m=4.43, SD=0.71). Majority of staff were of the opinion that the
organizational culture is important in ensuring the success of the change (m=3.57, SD=0.79)
while a significant number also believed in the effectiveness in the integration of the two
organizations in the Alliance (m=3.75, SD=0.84)
While most respondents had positive feedback on the staff commitment aspects of the change,
it was worth highlighting that majority of respondents (m=2.90, SD=0.97) did not feel involved
in the change process. This could be attributed to change decisions being secluded to
management. The standard deviations ranged from 0.71 to 1.00 to show that the responses
were not widely dispersed from the mean.
40
Table 4.1: Descriptive of Staff Commitment and Change Management
Staff commitment Variables 1 2 3 4 5 N Mean SD
The current organization culture
supports the change being introduced
0 9 35 45 10 100 3.57 0.79
Relevant training would be beneficial
in making me accept the change
1 11 16 41 31 100 3.91 1.00
The process of integration of the two
organizations is effective in the change
management process
1 5 31 45 18 100 3.75 0.84
The current human resource practice
are effective in the change management
process
5 11 35 37 12 100 3.40 1.00
I feel very involved in the change
process
5 33 34 23 5 100 2.90 0.97
I understand the impact that the current
change management will have on my
work
1 13 35 38 13 100 3.49 0.91
I believe my job will be secure after the
change process
3 4 47 32 14 100 3.51 0.89
I believe the organization has enough
resources to manage the change
4 9 49 31 7 100 3.29 0.88
The change will be highly beneficial in
the long run
0 2 25 52 21 100 3.92 0.73
Staff commitment is the most
important element in managing change
0 3 4 40 53 100 4.43 0.71
4.4.2 Regression Analysis for the Influence of Staff Commitment on Change
Management
A regression analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between change
management and staff commitment. The results showed an R2 of 0.538 hence 53.8% of the
variation in change management is explained by the variations in staff commitment as
illustrated in the Table 4.2. The remaining 46.8% is due to factors not presented in the model.
Table 4.2 Model Summary of Staff Commitment and Change Management
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the
Estimate
1 .733a .538 .533 .37181
a. Predictors: (Constant), Staff Commitment
41
The ANOVA findings in table 4.3 indicated a P Value of 0.000 showing high significance of
the model as it is less the .05. Therefore, the regression model for staff commitment
significantly predicts the change management as shown in the table. The F value of 113.960
is a large value which indicates that the model is a good fit.
Table 4.3: ANOVA of Staff Commitment and Change Management
ANOVAa
Model Sum of
Squares
df Mean
Square
F Sig.
1
Regression 15.754 1 15.754 113.960 .000b
Residual 13.548 98 .138
Total 29.302 99
a. Dependent Variable: Change Management
b. Predictors: (Constant), Staff commitment
The findings show that the coefficient of staff commitment is 0.768 which suggests that and
improvement in leadership will have a positive effect of the success on the change
management. A linear regression model was to test the relationship between staff
commitment and change management stated by the Y = β0 + β1X1+ ε bringing where Y=
Change Management, β0=regression constant, β1=Beta Coefficient, X1= Staff Commitment
and ε = error term to be represented as
Y = 0.995 + 0.733X1+ ε
Table 4.4: Coefficients of Staff Commitment and Change Management
Coefficientsa
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) .995 .263 3.787 .000
Staffcommitment .768 .072 .733 10.675 .000
a. Dependent Variable: Change Management
42
4.5 The Influence of Communication Channels on Success of Change Management
The first objective sought the influence of communication channels on the success of change
management initiatives. To accomplish this, respondents were tasked to rate their answers
using a scale with following choices 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Agree, 3-Neutral, 4-Agree and 5-
Strongly Agree.
4.5.1 Descriptive of the Influence of Communication Channels on the Success of Change
Management
Analysis of the results of the influence of communication channels brought on some significant
results from the values of the means which ranged from 3.22 – 4.46. Specifically, the research
findings revealed that a majority of respondents were of the opinion that management
incorporated a variety of communication channels when disseminating messages (m=4.10,
SD=0.66). Secondly, a significant number were in agreement that there is a key role to be
played by change agents in communicating change information to staff (m=4.13, SD=0.71).
Third, a majority of respondents seemed to agree that empathy is an important element when
communicating change (m=4.23, SD=0.68). The lowest mean was exhibited by staff’s belief
in a top down communication approach compared to bottom up (m=3.22, SD=1.08). This
indicates that though majority agreed in the top down approach, there is still a large number of
respondents that believed that a bottom up approach is more effective.
43
Table 4.5: Descriptive Communication Channels and Change Management
Communication Variables 1 2 3 4 5 N Mean SD
I am well informed of the major changes
taking place in the Alliance
1 8 23 55 13 100 3.71 0.83
A top down communication approach is
more effective when implementing
organizational changes than bottom up
5 23 29 31 12 100 3.22 1.08
Communication on the changes taking place
have been timely and complete
3 8 36 45 8 100 3.47 0.87
Management effectively conveys
information on the change using a variety of
channels e.g. emails, meetings
0 2 11 62 25 100 4.10 0.66
I have the opportunity to give my feedback
on the issues raised when communicating
the process
4 13 28 48 7 100 3.41 0.94
Change management agents should be an
important element when implementing
change in the Alliance
0 1 17 51 31 100 4.13 0.71
Empathy when communicating change is
important when disseminating messages
0 0 14 49 37 100 4.23 0.68
The current communication strategy used
helps to minimize may uncertainty of the
change
2 11 34 43 10 100 3.48 0.89
I fully understand my role in the change
process
2 13 43 36 6 100 3.31 0.85
Communication is the most important
element when managing change
0 0 4 46 50 100 4.46 0.57
4.5.2 Regression Analysis for Communication and Change Management
A regression analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between change management
and staff commitment. The results showed an R2 of 0.583 hence 58.3% of the variation in
change management is explained by the variations in staff commitment as illustrated in the
table 4.00. The remaining 41.7% is due to factors not presented in the model.
44
Table 4.6 Model Summary of Communication Channels and Change Management
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .763a .583 .579 .35317
a. Predictors: (Constant), communication
The ANOVA findings in table 4.7 indicated a P Value of 0.000 showing high significance of
the model as it is less the .05. Therefore, the regression model for communication significantly
predicts the change management as shown in the table. The F value of 136.925 is a large value
which indicates that the model is a good fit.
Table 4.7 ANOVA of Communication Channels and Change Management
ANOVAa
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1
Regression 17.078 1 17.078 136.925 .000b
Residual 12.223 98 .125
Total 29.302 99
a. Dependent Variable: Change Management
b. Predictors: (Constant), communication
The findings show that the coefficient of communication channels is 0.848 which suggests that
and improvement in communication will have a positive effect of the success on the change
management. A linear regression model was to test the relationship between communication
channels and change management stated by the Y = β0 + β1X2+ ε bringing where Y= Change
Management, β0=regression constant, β1=Beta Coefficient, X2= Communication and ε = error
term to be represented as
Y = 0.6 + 0.763X2+ ε
45
Table 4.8: Coefficient of Communication Channels and Change Management
Coefficientsa
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) .600 .273 2.197 .030
communication .848 .072 .763 11.701 .000
a. Dependent Variable: Change Management
4.6 The Influence of Leadership Styles on Success on Change Management
Respondents were required to indicate the extent to which they agreed with the various
leadership aspects exhibited in the change process in the Alliance. Results were measured in a
five point Likert scale where 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree and 5=
Strongly Agree.
4.6.1 Descriptive of the Influence of Leadership Styles on Change Management
The findings on the leadership styles indicated that a significant number of respondents highly
favored the current leadership exhibited in the Alliance. This is evident by the range of means
obtained from 3.47 – 4.20 and standard deviations between 0.57 – 1.09. More specific results
indicated that majority of respondents believe in the strategic and technical competencies of
leaders when managing the change (m=4.15, SD=0.75) while majority also believed that social
competencies play a key role in managing change (m=4.28, SD=0.57). The respondents were
in general consensus that the work environment is a key determinant on whether the change
will be successful or not (m=4.03, SD=0.64) while a significant number believed that the
leaders are fully committed to the changes taking place in the Alliance (m=4.09, SD-=0.64).
While no responses significantly showed dissatisfaction on the leadership of taking place, it
was worth noting that the lowest mean was exhibited by the belief in the importance of political
skills when leading change (m=3.47, SD=1.09). This indicates that staff do not fully believe
that political skills are really necessary in ensuring the success of organizational change. This
could be attributed to the fact that political skills and connections are often used for personal
than organizational gain.
46
Table 4.9: Descriptive Leadership Styles on Change Management
Variables 1 2 3 4 5 N Mean SD
I believe my leaders have the Alliance the
strategic and technical competencies to
manage change in the Alliance
1 0 15 49 34 100 4.15 0.75
My leaders have instilled enough motivation
and confidence in me to accept the current
changes
0 7 35 46 11 100 3.62 0.78
Quality execution of a change is more
important than the quality of the change
strategy
1 9 31 39 20 100 3.67 0.93
Social competencies (trust, dominance,
sensitivity, tact etc.) are key leadership
elements when implementing change
0 0 6 59 35 100 4.28 0.57
it is important for leaders to exhibit political
skills when leading change
4 15 31 30 20 100 3.47 1.09
I am confident that my leaders welcome new
ideas and innovation when implementing
change
1 7 32 45 15 100 3.65 0.86
Performance expectations and reward
behaviors are necessary to ensure acceptance
of a change
0 8 29 46 16 100 3.71 0.84
Authorization of changes in my organization
is more top bottom than bottom up
0 4 25 51 21 100 3.88 0.78
The environment in which the change is
taking place will determine whether or not it
is effective
0 1 16 63 21 100 4.03 0.64
Resilience (the capacity to recover quickly
from difficulties) is a quality that is present
in my leaders when managing change
2 2 29 49 18 100 3.78 0.83
I believe that the leaders of the Alliance are
fully committed to the changes
0 1 13 61 25 100 4.09 0.64
Leadership is the most important element
when managing change
0 2 11 52 35 100 4.20 0.71
4.6.2 Regression Analysis for Leadership Styles and Change Management
A regression analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between change management
and leadership skills. The results showed an R2 of 0.152 hence only 15.2% of the variation in
change management is explained by the variations in leadership as illustrated in the table 4.2.
The remaining 84.8% is due to factors not presented in the model. The value implies a low
prediction of leadership on change management thus suggesting other factors that play a role
in the success of change management.
47
Table 4.10 Model Summary Leadership Styles and Change Management
Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .389a .152 .143 .50363
a. Predictors: (Constant), Leadership
The ANOVA table was done for the purpose of determining the significance of the dependent
variable against the independent variable. The P Value indicated a value of 0.000 showing high
significance of the model as it is less the .05. Therefore, the regression model for leadership
significantly predicts the change management as shown in table 4.10
Table 4.11 ANOVA of Leadership Styles and Change Management
ANOVAa
Model Sum of
Squares
df Mean
Square
F Sig.
1
Regression 4.444 1 4.444 17.522 .000b
Residual 24.857 98 .254
Total 29.302 99
a. Dependent Variable: Change Management
b. Predictors: (Constant), Leadership
The findings show that the coefficient of leadership is 0.516 which suggests that and
improvement in leadership will have a positive effect of the success on the change
management. A linear regression model was to test the relationship between leadership and
change management stated by the Y = β0 + β1X3+ ε bringing where Y= Change
Management, β0=regression constant, β1=Beta Coefficient, X3= Leadership and ε = error
term to be represented as
Y = 1.787 + 0.389X3+ ε
48
Table 4.12: Coefficient of Leadership Styles and Change Management
Coefficientsa
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) 1.787 .477 3.746 .000
Leadership .516 .123 .389 4.186 .000
a. Dependent Variable: Change Management
4.7 Chapter Summary
The chapter has presented the outcomes of the results of the study. The first section outlines
the results of the demographic information of the respondents. The second section provides a
descriptive analysis of the results of the respondents’ view of how staff commitment affects
change management. The third section provides a descriptive analysis of the results of the
respondents’ view of how communication channels affects change management while the
fourth provides a descriptive analysis of respondents’ view of leadership attributes and change
management. The fifth section of the study provided a regression analysis to determine the
relationship between the area of study and the various variables. The analysis indicated that
communication is the most important element in change management, followed by staff
commitment and finally, leadership styles. Chapter five presents the findings while providing
a discussion, conclusion and recommendations of the study.
49
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
This chapter seeks to address four major areas. The first is to provide a summary of findings
presented on analysis on chapter four in a manner that answers the research questions. Second,
the chapter will provide conclusions of the findings of each research question. Third, the study
will offer recommendations for improvement both from those highlighted in the literature
review and those suggested by the respondents. Lastly, the chapter shall highlight areas in
which future researchers could focus their study on.
5.2 Summary
The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between internal factors and the
success of change management practices in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya with the focus
on the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The study focuses on the alliance
taking place between CIAT and Bioversity International. The study was based on specific
research questions including the extent to which staff commitment affects change
management, the influence of communication channels on successful change management and
the influence of leadership styles and how they affect change management.
The study adopted an exploratory design to analyze, interpret and present data obtained. The
study focused on a population sample of 135 respondents and a sample size of 100 including
staff in management, staff in programs and support staff which included those in Human
Resource, Finance, Operations, Communication and Administration. A stratified sampling
method was adopted to divide the population into sub groups while randomly selecting final
subjects for the study. The study engaged the use of structured questionnaires that included
both closed and open ended questions that were pilot tested to ensure relevance, validity and
reliability. Data was analyzed using SPSS software which presented the information in tables
and figures. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and Linear regression which
included ANOVA analysis and Coefficients of the variables
The study outlines some useful demographic information. First, the study was able to gather a
75% response rate which is considered very good while also exhibiting an adequate balance in
the gender of respondents. Second, sufficient representation of the various work departments
50
and literacy levels was found with the importance of programmes clearly highlighted. In
addition, the study also found that respondents had worked long enough to give opinions on
the study while also exhibiting maturity in age to facilitate the collection of data.
The first research question of the study sought to determine the influence of staff commitment
on the success of change management in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya. The study found
that staff commitment had a significant influence on change management given by the 0.000
model significance and positive effect of 0.768. The inferential statistics also showed a positive
relationship between communication channels and successful change management with a
coefficient of a positive 0.768. Analysis of the results indicated various aspects that influence
staff commitment which include the belief that the change would be beneficial in the long run
(m=3.92, SD=0.73) and that training is a very important element in accepting the changes
taking place (M=3.91, SD=1.00), that the organizational culture is important in ensuring the
success of the change (m=3.57, SD=0.79) while a significant number also believed in the
effectiveness in the integration of the two organizations in the Alliance (m=3.75, SD=0.84).
However, majority of respondents (m=2.90, SD=0.97) did not feel involved in the change
process. This could be attributed to change decisions being secluded to management. The
standard deviations ranged from 0.71 to 1.00 to show that the responses were not widely
dispersed from the mean.
The second research question of the study sought to determine the influence of communication
channels on the success of change management in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya. The
regression results showed that communication had the most significant relationship with
success of change management compared to leadership and staff commitment with 0.000
model significance and positive effect of 0.848. The inferential statistics also showed a positive
relationship between communication channels and successful change management with a
coefficient of a positive 0.848. The study highlighted various significant communication aspect
including a key role to be played by change agents in communicating change information to
staff (m=4.13, SD=0.71), the importance of incorporating a variety of communication channels
when disseminating messages (m=4.10, SD=0.66) and use of a top down communication
approach compared to bottom up (m=3.22, SD=1.08). This indicates that though majority
51
agreed in the top down approach, there is still a large number of respondents that believed that
a bottom up approach is more effective.
The third research question of the study sought to determine the influence of leadership styles
on the success of change management in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya. The study found
that leadership was the least significant element compared to staff commitment and
communication indicate by a positive influence of only 0.152 but a significance of 0.000. The
inferential statistics also showed a positive relationship between leadership and successful
change management with a coefficient of a positive 0.516. The study highlighted various
leadership variables that, if improved on, would have a significantly positive influence on
change management including improvement on strategic and technical competencies of leaders
when managing the change (m=4.15, SD=0.75), nurturing of social competencies of leaders
(m=4.28, SD=0.57), ensuring that the work environment is in line with the change introduced
(m=4.03, SD=0.64) and ensuring that the leaders are fully committed to the changes taking
place (m=4.09, SD-=0.64). A low number however believed belief in the importance of
political skills when leading change (m=3.47, SD=1.09).
5.3 Discussion
5.3.1 Influence of Staff Commitment on Change Management
The study confirms that staff commitment had a significant influence on the success of change
management in Non Profit Organizations as per the regression results. The study found that
organizational culture has a statistically significant role to play in the success of change
management practices. This finding confirms the study by Harris and Ogbonna (2000) who
argued that culture can have an influence on how staff commit to a change initiative. To this
extent, it can be argued that if the change is positive, then it will positively influence the success
of the change. However, if the culture is negative, it is likely to have a negative impact on the
success of the change. Other authors such as McAdam and Donaghy (1999) who developed
four typologies of organizational cultures which include clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, and
market. McGovern and Panaro (2004) argued that organizations exhibiting a clan culture are
likely to have higher success with change management due to emphasis on sustaining
commitment, human resource and morale.
52
The study reports that in case of mergers or alliances, the ability to integrate the two
organizations had a very significant influence on the success of the changes likely to take place
in the process. This is due to the fact that both organizations are likely to have different
cultures, values, processes, systems and leadership. Ford and Randolph (1992) defined this
integration as a practice where two or more organizations come together for a common purpose
despite being separated in functional areas. May and Kettelhut (1996) highlighted that cross
functional integration is a practice that is likely to boost employee commitment to changes in
the implementation stages of an alliance. The extent to which it is practiced will contribute
towards their overall commitment to the change.
The study highlighted that proper training had an important role in the success of change
management practices in Non Profit Organizations. During the incorporation of change in an
organization, practices are likely to change and one of the ways of managing the change within
minimal distraction is through training. According to Robey, Ross and Bourdeau (2002),
incorporation of training is likely to contribute to staff commitment as it not only clarifies the
roles of the staff in the change but creates a scene of how organizational objectives shall be
achieved with other colleagues. They further argued that proper training will eliminate
knowledge assimilation barriers which consequently makes staff more committed to the
change programs. Similar studies by Lau and Herbet (2001) have shown training to be a
number one contributor towards positive reaction to large scale change implementation. Shum
et al (2006) added that failure to conduct this training will most likely lead drastic actions from
staff such as resignation.
Another significant finding in the study was the importance of the involvement of staff in the
change process. This involvement can only come from the leaders who are championing or
responsible for overseeing its implementation. A study by Nishii, Lepak and Schneider (2008)
highlighted that one of the best ways of ensuring involvement is enhancing the role of Human
Resource in the change process. They argued that the Human Resource practices, if used well
in the change process, can serve as a reflection of managerial commitment towards supporting
staff embrace the change. In addition, due to their high interaction with staff members,
attention needs to be paid to the perception of HR practices and their impact on the change
needs of the organization. Once staff have a higher and positive perception of the Human
53
Resource practices, the levels of commitment towards the change are more likely to increase
significantly (Maheshwari & Vohra, 2015).
Another key finding from the study was that leaders’ involvement of subordinates is likely to
increase commitment to the change. Other authors also made contributions that may influence
staff involvement to change management which would consequently increase their
commitment. This is in line with the study from Chonko et at (2002), who believed that
commitment to change initiatives can be fostered when leaders take a more facilitative role. A
facilitative role in this case involves the ability to encourage employees to consider and accept
the change. Rather than constantly giving instructions and information, the facilitative role
encourages leaders to listen to concerns coming from employees while encouraging group
learning. Their study indicated that since the use of facilitative leadership encourages
participation, employee involvement increases thus making commitment more likely to occur.
5.3.2 Influence of Communication Channels on Change Management
The regression results from the study found that communication was the most significant
element in management of change compared to leadership and staff commitment. The study
found that communication was more effective when various channels are used, when empathy
is incorporated and when change agents are involved in the change process. The regression
analysis also highlighted that communication is the most important element in change
management in relation to staff commitment and leadership. This is backed by Lewis et al.
(2006) who highlighted that management is likely to receive less resistance from staff if they
have a high perception of the quality of the change information disseminated. There is also a
very large link between communication and staff commitment which is earlier discussed. This
was emphasized by Oreg (2006) who was of the opinion that honest communication avoids
negative feelings such as stress that can reduce commitment while also highlighting that the
amount of information given is just as important as the clarity of the information when trying
to gain a positive reaction from followers.
The study results indicated that empathy is very key when communicating changes in
organizations. Empathy involves an ability to understand and relate to the feeling of another
and therefore leaders championing a change should be able to relate to the concerns and
struggles that are likely to be experienced buy subordinates. This was highly emphasized by
54
Edmonds (2011) who developed the Emphatic Change Communication Style (ECCo-Style) to
guide leaders in managing large scale changes in an easier way. Edmonds highlighted that the
system does not require special knowledge or modern communication tool. The use of empathy
when communicating change can involve awareness of verbal and non-verbal communication,
praising good work, using anger and anxieties as stimuli for alterations and developing
reliability and safeness.
According to the study, incorporation of different methods of communication also have a key
role in ensuring the effectiveness of change management. This was emphasized by De Ridder
(2003) who viewed communication a way of creating community. Use of the correct channel
of communication will lead to trust, commitment and overall identification with management.
This was further concurred by Postumes, Tanis and de Wit (2001) who discovered that
employee commitment to change is likely to increase if information us presented using both
formal and informal channels. According to the results from the open ended questions, staff
acknowledged platforms such as email and occasional video calls were incorporated when
communicating the change. However, more local approached such as local meetings and one
on ones could also be used to ensure that all staff at different levels fully understand the
changes taking place. This brings forth a result from the study on the use of change agents in
communicating change. Change agents become a very useful communication method when
large scale changes are being introduced to large organizations as in the case of CIAT. These
agents play an important role in communicating the role in a relatable and relevant way rather
than a technical and general way as done by top management of international organizations.
Other key results from the study include the importance of timely and complete information
which majority of staff highlighted as important in the change process. This is a very key
requirement from top management as inability to give complete information may lead to
rumors within the firm which may build speculation and consequently giving rise for both the
leaders and follower as confirmed by Lips (2012). On the other hand, Gergs and Trinczek
(2005) countered this by stating the completeness of information is not as important as the time
taken to communicate the change. It is important to communicate the changes as early as
possible while also informing them that the information given in not completer for one reason
or another. This timeliness of information also has a role to play when incorporating the change
55
agents discussed earlier. Just as resistance is likely to come from followers or subordinates, it
is also likely to occur from change and communication agents. This is in line with the study
by Ford, Ford and D’Amelio (2008) who stated that change is not likely to occur successfully
is the counter arguments in the change process are not received by change agents in a timely
and complete manner. This failure to provide counter arguments therefore leads the
participants to be viewed just as objects to receive information while giving rise to monologic
participation. While not all participation leads to minimization of resistance, excessive use of
monologic participation will definitely be a high contributor to change resistance.
5.3.3 Influence of Leadership Styles on Change Management
The study found a positive relationship between leadership skills and change management in
Non Profit Organizations. The study, though indicating a positive relationship in the
regression, indicate that leadership was the least significant as compared to staff commitment
and communication channels. According to Magsaysay and Hechanova (2016), change
interventions in organizations heavily relies on the ability of those championing the change to
see the initiatives through to completion. They also indicated that the perception of successful
change management by followers will be dependent on their perception of not only the change
by the leaders themselves.
The findings of the study showed that the technical and strategic competencies were an
important leadership element when managing organizational change. Managing large scale
changes is an important task that required leaders to have the necessary know how to ensure
that the change is able to both be implemented and accepted successfully and without
resistance. This finding with the contributions from Hechanova and Franco (2012) who
identified strategic and technical competencies as key is establishing a leader’s effectiveness
in managing the changing dynamics of the organizational environment. Some of these skills
required when managing change include proactivity from leaders and the ability to be a
visionary when leading change. When combined with technical competencies, strategic
competencies allow leaders to be more knowledgeable, analytical and innovative enough to
not only lead and support the change, but to provide the necessary direction using analytical
and visionary thinking.
56
The study also found that social competencies can be a significant determinant to the success
of change management. Social competencies necessary for change can include trust, empathy,
giving support and approachability as indicated in the study by Magsaysay and Hecahanova
(2016). In addition, these skills pararelled those of Bass and Bass (2008) which added more
skills necessary to manage change such as dominance, sociability, communication styles,
empathy, sensitivity, tact, communication skills and interpersonal skills. This finding therefore
builds on the previous one to show that technical skills are not the only requirement from
leaders to ensure success of change. While many leaders will focus on investing in gaining
necessary technical skills, they will often forget the soft skills necessary to compliment the
technical skills.
According to the study, it was strongly believed that the success of change initiatives in
organizations will be highly determined by the environment in which the change is taking
place. This importance could be seen in the study on transformational change in Africa by
Perera et al (2018) who discovered that one of the major enablers for change is creating a
conducive environment for the change. Leaders can take advantage of the environment by
recognizing ripe moments to convince staff of the need to change the status quo and its benefit
to followers. In addition to the environment, the study found that commitment to the changes
from the leaders will also help followers to support the change. Very often, leaders are forced
to champion a change they do not fully believe in. This is evident in the finding from Zagotta
and Robinson (2002) who believed that leaders are required to be hands on when implementing
changes while driving action and empowering staff.
Other related studies on leadership and change management show that the importance of a
bottom up approach as compared to the commonly used top down approach. This is a highly
significant finding in the open ended responses received. Most subordinates will often lean
towards the bottom up approach as it allows subordinates to be able to bring their opinions and
concerns for consideration in a more effective way. Fullan (2007), while supporting the bottom
up approach in decision making, suggested that authorization should be top down. While
incorporating the bottom up approach, there should be and effective monitoring and evaluation
mechanism to ensure effectiveness. It is therefore important to develop a balance between
support and supervision when handling organizational change.
57
5.4 Conclusion
5.4.1 Influence of Staff Commitment on Change Management
The findings of the study conclude that staff commitment is the second most important element
when managing change in Non Profit Organizations as compared to communication and
leadership. Staff commitment can be enhanced by increasing the involvement of staff in the
change process while ensuring they understand how beneficial the change will be in the long
run. When managing change in alliances, it is important to have an effective integration process
to ensure that the change runs smoothly between the organizations. In addition, change
initiatives are likely to receive more commitment if the present culture supports the change
being introduced and if relevant training is provided for staff to fit in to the new changes.
5.4.2 Influence of Communication Channels on Change Management
The study concluded that communication is the most important element in change management
compared to staff commitment and leadership. The study found that communication can be
enhanced by using different channels of communication including emails, town hall meetings
and one on one sessions. Communication can also be enhanced through the use of change
agents who can make the change communication process easier especially in large scale change
initiatives occurring on an international level. Empathy is seen to play a major role in
communicating change while also incorporating a bottom up approach in change
communication.
5.4.3 Influence of Leadership Styles on Change Management
The study concludes that leadership has a positive relationship with the success of change
management in Non Profit Organizations. Some significant leadership elements when
managing change include the technical, strategic and social competencies of leaders. Change
leaders should exhibit both the hard and soft skills required to manage the change. The
environment in which the change is taking place is also key in ensuring its success in addition
to the commitment of the leaders to the change. Lastly, just like communication, a bottom up
approach to leadership is considered more effective when managing change.
5.5 Recommendations
5.5.1 Recommendations for Improvement
58
5.5.1.1 Influence of Staff Commitment on Change Management
The study recommends that training should have a key role in ensuring that staff are committed
to the change. With strategic changes, there will always be changes in the organizational
operations and staff will be required to be acquainted with them. For staff to be fully
committed, management must ensure that they fully understand the changes taking place. This
understanding involve ensuring that they understand the change itself, why it is necessary and
the possible benefits the change is likely to bring in the future. Secondly, getting staff buy in
on the change decisions taking place. It is important to ensure that this buy is sought from staff
on all levels with different kinds of contracts. This is because some staff may believe that due
to their lower level within the firm, they cannot bring forth important concerns.
5.5.1.2 Influence of Communication Channels on Change Management
Communication plays a key role in any change management process and therefore is important
for firms to enhance their communication strategies. While communicating the change, it is
important for firms to tailor the change message to be as simple as possible. Strategic changes
are often communicated in a technical or general way and is often not fully understood on a
local level. It is also recommended that communication on the change should be short but
frequent, rather than long and after long periods of time. Lastly, it is recommended that firms
should communicated changes not just on a local organizational level, but on a departmental
level. This is because organizational changes are likely to affect one department in a different
way than another.
5.5.1.3 Influence of Leadership Styles on Change Management
The study recommends that NGO’s should embrace a more bottom up approach when
managing change in their organizations. This approach can include increasing feedback with
staff and ensuring that even the lowest level subordinates understand the necessity of the
change. This will help staff in feeling more committed to the change while also contributing
to teamwork and democratic tendencies as suggested by staff. In addition, for changes taking
place in an international organization, incorporation of change agents might be a key
contributor in ensuring the change runs smoothly in the various countries. Change agents could
59
be staff already holding existing positions in the firm and they would play a key role in making
the change relatable in a local context while being able to raise concerns to higher management.
5.5.2 Recommendations for Further Studies
The study was designed to address the relationship between the change management and staff
commitment, communication channels and leadership styles when addressing the success of
change management. However, these variables only explain a certain percentage of what
influences successful change management. Further research could also be conducted on other
possible aspects including technology, the operational environment, the role of various cultural
types and the influence of employee competencies on change management. Studies could also
be conducted on other Non-Profit organization to determine whether they would exhibit similar
views or whether they would be significantly different from those in the study.
60
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APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRE
SECTION I: GENERAL INFORMATION
This section has general questions for you as a respondent. Kindly answer them to the best of
your understanding.
1. Kindly indicate your gender
Male Female
2. Kindly indicate your work department
Regional Management
Programmes
Support
3. Kindly indicate your highest level of education attained ?
Less than 1 year
1-5 Years
5-10 Years
10-15 Years
Above 15 Years
4. How long have you worked for CIAT or Bioversity International?
Less than 1 year
1-5 Years
5-10 Years
10-15 Years
Above 15 Years
72
5. How old are you?
18-25 Years
26-35 Years
36-45 Years
Above 46 Years
SECTION II: STAFF COMMITEMENT
Kindly use the following Likert scale to answer the following questions: (Strongly disagree
= 1; Disagree = 2; Neutral = 3; Agree = 4; Strongly Disagree = 5)
No. Questions 1 2 3 4 5
6 The current organization culture supports the change being introduced
7 Relevant training would be beneficial in making me accept the change
8 The process of integration of the two organization is effective in the
change management process
9 The current human resource practice are effective in making the change
process smooth
10 I feel very involved in the change process
11 I understand the impact that the current change management will have
on my work
12 I believe my job will be secure after the change process
13 I believe the organization has enough resources to manage the change
14 The change will be highly beneficial in the long run
15 Staff commitment is the most important element in managing change
16. What do you think can be done to increase your commitment towards the change
being experienced in your organization?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
73
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
SECTION III: COMMUNICATION
Kindly answer the following questions using the Likert scale in section II above
No. Questions 1 2 3 4 5
17. I am well informed of the major changes taking place in the
alliance
18 A top down communication approach is more effective when
implementing organizational changes than bottom up
19 Communication on the changes taking place have been timely
and complete
20 Management effectively conveys information on the change
using a variety of channels e.g. emails, meetings
21 I have the opportunity to give my feedback on the issues raised
when communicating the change process
22 Change management agents should be an important element
when implementing change in the Alliance
23 Empathy when communicating change is important when
disseminating messages
24 The current communication strategy used helps to minimize
my uncertainty of the change
25 I fully understand my role in the change process
26 Communication is the most important element when managing
change
74
27. Suggest possible communication practices that help smoothen the change in the
Alliance.
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
SECTION IV: LEADERSHIP
Kindly answer the following questions using the Likert scale in section II above
No. Questions 1 2 3 4 5
28 I believe my leaders have the strategic and technical competencies to
manage changes in the Alliance
29 My leaders have instilled enough motivation and confidence in me to
accept the current changes
30 Quality execution of a change is more important than the quality of
the change strategy
31 Social competencies (trust, dominance, sensitivity tact etc.) are key
leadership elements when implementing change
32 It is important for leaders to exhibit political skills when leading
change
33 I am confident that my leaders welcome new ideas and innovation
when implementing the change
34 Performance expectations and reward behaviors are necessary to
ensure acceptance of a change
35 Authorization of changes in my organization is more top bottom than
bottom top
36 The environment in which the change is taking place will determine
whether or not it is effective
37 Resilience (the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties) is a
quality that is present in my leaders when managing change
38 I believe that the leaders of the Alliance are fully committed to the
changes
39 Leadership is the most important element when managing change
75
40. Suggest possible leadership practices that help smoothen the change in the Alliance
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
SECTION V: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
No. Questions 1 2 3 4 5
41 I fully understand the changes taking place in the Alliance
42 The change process has been clearly defined
43 I fully understand my role in the change process
44 The Alliance has strategic change initiatives that support change
management
45 I understand the impact that the change will have on the organization
46 A well-defined change management process is necessary for successful
change implementation
47 The change message has been clearly articulated to all departments
48 I understand why the ongoing change is necessary
49 I believe our organizational resources will be positively affected by
change
50 I believe our relationships with stakeholders will be positively affected
by change
76
APPENDIX II: COVER LETTER
8th June 2020
Susan Owino
P.O. Box 12192-00100
Nairobi
Dear Sir/Madam
RE: REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH STUDY
My name id Susan Owino Currently conducting a study on Internal Factors and Change
Management Practices in Non Profit Organizations in Kenya: A case study of the Alliance of
Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) as a
requirement for the confinement of the Master of Business Administration Degree at the United
States International University – Africa.
You have been selected to take part in the study through answering a questionnaire to the best
of your knowledge that will only take a few minutes. As you partake in the study, I would like
to assure you that the information provided shall be treated with utmost confidentiality. The
information shall only be used for the purpose of the study and at no time shall you be asked
to identify yourself by name.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely
Susan Owino
77
APPENDIX III: INTERVIEW INFORMED CONSENT FORM
Name of Study : Internal Factors and Change Management Practices in Non Profit
Organizations in Kenya: A Case Study of the Alliance of Bioversity International and The
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Name of Researcher : Susan Awuor Owino
Interview Date :
a) I____________________________________________________ have read and
comprehended the Study information and Sheet provided.
b) I have been given the chance to ask questions about the research study.
c) I understand that taking part in the study will include being interviewed and audio
recorded.
d) I have been given adequate time to consider my decision and I agree to take part in
the study.
e) I understand that my personal details such as name, employer address will not be
exposed to persons not involved in this project.
f) I understand that my words may be cited in publications, reports, web pages and other
research productions but my name will not be used.
g) I agree to allot the copyright I hold to the material related to this project to Silvester
Mutua Kisila James.
h) I understand that I can withdraw from the study at any time and I will not be asked
any questions about why I no longer want to take part.
Signature of the participant: _________________ Date: ________________
Researcher’s Signature: _________________________ Date: ________________
78
APPENDIX IV: DEBRIEFING FORM
Dear Participant;
Thank you for your contribution towards this research study. The purpose of the study is to
examine the relationship between internal factors and change management practices adopted
in Non Profit Organizations.
Your original consent document includes the following information: your right to withdraw
from the study at any time without any repercussions to me.
If you happen to have any apprehensions about your contribution or the information you
provide in light of this disclosure, please review this with me. I will be glad to afford any
information I can to help answer questions you have about this study.
If your concerns are such that you would now like to have your data withdrawn, and the data
is discernable, it shall be done.
If you have queries about your involvement in the research study, please contact me on email
[email protected] or my project supervisor at [email protected]
If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the USIU-
A Institutional Review Board Office telephone 254730116127, [email protected].
Once again, your participation is highly appreciated.
Name: ………………………………. Sign………………………………
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This is to Certify that Ms.. Susan Awuor Owino of United States International University Africa, has been licensed to conduct research in Nairobi on the topic: INTERNAL FACTORS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (CIAT) for the period ending : 26/June/2021.
License No: NACOSTI/P/20/5432
412484
Applicant Identification Number Director GeneralNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
SCIENCE,TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
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The Grant of Research Licenses is Guided by the Science, Technology and Innovation (Research Licensing) Regulations, 2014
CONDITIONS
1. The License is valid for the proposed research, location and specified period2. The License any rights thereunder are non-transferable3. The Licensee shall inform the relevant County Director of Education, County Commissioner and County Governor before
commencement of the research4. Excavation, filming and collection of specimens are subject to further necessary clearence from relevant Government Agencies5. The License does not give authority to tranfer research materials6. NACOSTI may monitor and evaluate the licensed research project7. The Licensee shall submit one hard copy and upload a soft copy of their final report (thesis) within one of completion of the research8. NACOSTI reserves the right to modify the conditions of the License including cancellation without prior notice
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