Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigates effective strategies for managing employee resistance and work-related stress during organizational change. The research addresses key challenges organizations face in managing change by exploring leadership, communication, employee wellness programs, and adaptive HR practices. This research adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach to synthesize existing studies on employee management during organizational change. The study analyzes empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks to identify strategies that mitigate resistance and stress in organizational transitions. The study highlights the critical role of transformational leadership, transparent communication, and employee wellness programs in reducing resistance and managing work-related stress. It identifies how clear communication and inclusive leadership contribute to higher employee engagement and adaptability. The research also underscores the importance of HR practices, such as agile performance management and HR analytics, in supporting smooth transitions. The findings provide actionable recommendations for organizations to implement comprehensive strategies prioritizing employee well-being and engagement during change. Managers are encouraged to adopt transformational leadership, improve communication, and integrate wellness programs to reduce resistance and stress. Future research could further explore the impact of these strategies in various industries and the potential role of emerging technologies.
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References
- Afsar, B., & Shahjehan, A. (2018). Linking ethical leadership and moral voice. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 39(6), 775–793. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2018-0015
- Ahmadi, H. (2024). Managing Organizational Change in the Digital Era: The Interplay of Technological Advancements, Leadership, and Employee Adaptability. Leadership and Employee Adaptability (August 09, 2024). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4936389
- Bass, B. M. (1996). New paradigm of leadership: An inquiry into transformational leadership. US Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.
- Boon, J., Wynen, J., & Kleizen, B. (2021). What happens when the going gets tough? Linking change skepticism, organizational identification, and turnover intentions. Public Management Review, 23(7), 1056–1080. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1722208
- Bouckenooghe, D., M. Schwarz, G., & Minbashian, A. (2015). Herscovitch and Meyer’s Three-Component model of commitment to change: Meta-analytic findings. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(4), 578–595. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2014.963059
- Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and the planned approach to change: a re‐appraisal. Journal of Management Studies, 41(6), 977–1002. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00463.x
- Carreño, A. M. (2024). An Analytical Review of John Kotter’s Change Leadership Framework: A Modern Approach to Sustainable Organizational Transformation. Available at SSRN 5044428. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5044428
- Cieslak, V., & Valor, C. (2025). Moving beyond conventional resistance and resistors: an integrative review of employee resistance to digital transformation. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2442550. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2442550
- Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human Relations, 69(1), 33–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715577707
- DeGhetto, K., Russell, Z. A., & Ferris, G. R. (2017). Organizational Change, Uncertainty, and Employee Stress: Sensemaking Interpretations of Work Environments and the Experience of Politics and Stress. In Power, Politics, and Political Skill in Job Stress (Vol. 15, pp. 105–135). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-355520170000015002
- Fietz, B., Hillmann, J., & Guenther, E. (2021). Cultural Effects on Organizational Resilience: Evidence from the NAFTA Region. Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, 73(1), 5–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41471-021-00106-8
- Fløvik, L., Knardahl, S., & Christensen, J. O. (2019). The effect of organizational changes on the psychosocial work environment: changes in psychological and social working conditions following organizational changes. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2845. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02845
- Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., & D’Amelio, A. (2008). Resistance to change: The rest of the story. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2008.31193235
- Georgiadis, V., & Sarigiannidis, L. (2025). Epictetus’ stoic philosophy glance at resistance to change. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2024-4681
- Gibbons, P. (2015). The science of successful organizational change: How leaders set strategy, change behavior, and create an agile culture. FT Press.
- Hassard, J., & Morris, J. (2020). Corporate restructuring, work intensification and perceptual politics: Exploring the ambiguity of managerial job insecurity. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 41(2), 323–350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X17710733
- Helpap, S., & Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, S. (2016). Employees’ emotions in change: advancing the sensemaking approach. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 29(6), 903–916. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-05-2016-0088
- Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123–127. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2016.07.002
- Jerab, D., & Mabrouk, T. (2023). How to Design an Effective Organizational Structure & the 21 Century Trends. Available at SSRN 4584646. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4584646
- Kolundzic, D. (2024). The Correlation Between Dimensions Of Work-Related Stress And Demographic Characteristics Of Employees In The Public Sector. International Journal of Management Trends: Key Concepts and Research, 3(2), 71–86. https://doi.org/10.58898/ijmt.v3i2.71-86
- Kotter, J. P., Akhtar, V., & Gupta, G. (2025). Change: How organizations achieve hard-to-imagine results in uncertain and volatile times. John Wiley & Sons.
- Kubiczek, W. (2024). Skills and leadership in the implementation of smart technology : adapting to change over time. http://essay.utwente.nl/104425/
- Küçükatalay, T., Vardarlier, P., Vayvay, Ö., & Özsürünç, R. (2023). Identifying the factors affecting individual resistance against organizational change. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 4(1), 120–140. https://doi.org/10.52547/johepal.4.1.120
- Lee, C., Huang, G.-H., & Ashford, S. J. (2018). Job Insecurity and the Changing Workplace: Recent Developments and the Future Trends in Job Insecurity Research. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5(1), 335–359. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104651
- Lewin, K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics: Concept, method and reality in social science; social equilibria and social change. Human Relations, 1(1), 5–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674700100103
- Li, J.-Y., Sun, R., Tao, W., & Lee, Y. (2021). Employee coping with organizational change in the face of a pandemic: The role of transparent internal communication. Public Relations Review, 47(1), 101984. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101984
- Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2022). The burnout challenge: Managing people’s relationships with their jobs. Harvard University Press.
- Nambisan, S., Wright, M., & Feldman, M. (2019). The digital transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship: Progress, challenges and key themes. Research Policy, 48(8), 103773. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.03.018
- Nunoo-Mensah, F., & Johnning, H. (2024). A qualitative study on resistance to change and its impact on organizational harmonization in M&As. https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/82033.
- Odoardi, C., Battistelli, A., Montani, F., & Peiró, J. M. (2019). Affective commitment, participative leadership, and employee innovation: A multilevel investigation. Revista de Psicología Del Trabajo y de Las Organizaciones, 35(2), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.5039/jwop2019a12
- Odulaja, B. A., Nnabugwu, O. C., Abdul, A. A., Udeh, C. A., & Daraojimba, C. (2023). HR’S role in organizational change within Nigeria’s renewable energy sector: a review. Engineering Science & Technology Journal, 4(5), 259–284. https://doi.org/10.51594/estj.v4i5.615
- Oreg, S., & Berson, Y. (2015). Personality and charismatic leadership in context: The moderating role of situational stress. Personnel Psychology, 68(1), 49–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12073
- Rastogi, A., Pati, S. P., Krishnan, T. N., & Krishnan, S. (2018). Causes, contingencies, and consequences of disengagement at work: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 17(1), 62–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484317754160
- Rehman, N., Mahmood, A., Ibtasam, M., Murtaza, S. A., Iqbal, N., & Molnár, E. (2021). The psychology of resistance to change: the antidotal effect of organizational justice, support and leader-member exchange. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 678952. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678952
- Salama, W., Abdou, A. H., Mohamed, S. A. K., & Shehata, H. S. (2022). Impact of work stress and job burnout on turnover intentions among hotel employees. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9724. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159724
- Shirey, M. R. (2013). Lewin’s theory of planned change as a strategic resource. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 69–72. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e31827f20a9
- Struckell, E., Ojha, D., Patel, P. C., & Dhir, A. (2022). Strategic choice in times of stagnant growth and uncertainty: An institutional theory and organizational change perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 182, 121839. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121839
- Sufriyadi, A., & Perkasa, D. H. (2024). Manajemen perubahan Strategi Manajemen Perubahan Dan Kinerja Organisasi Pada Departemen Sales Di PT XYZ. Jurnal Perspektif Manajerial Dan Kewirausahaan (JPMK), 5(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.59832/jpmk.v5i1.268
- Taegar, M. E., TARURHOR, E. M., & Oboreh, J. S. (2024). Organizational Change And Employee Work Related Stress: Evidence From Consumer Goods Industry In Nigeria. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(2), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v6i2.753
- Tamunomiebi, M., & Akpan, E. (2021). Organizational change and the imperatives of managing employee resistance: A conceptual review. Journal of Strategic Management, 6(1), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.47672/jsm.683
- Tu, Y., & Zou, T. (2024). Organizational change during economic downturns : Psychological drivers of employee resistance and management strategies. 9(8), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v9i8.2951
- Vakola, M., Xanthopoulou, D., & Demerouti, E. (2023). Daily job crafting and adaptive performance during organizational change: the moderating role of managers’ influence tactics. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 59(2), 232–261. https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863221133622
- Widjaja, P. (2023). Effective Employee Management in Times of Organizational Transformation. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 1(3), 137–149. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v1i3.195
References
Afsar, B., & Shahjehan, A. (2018). Linking ethical leadership and moral voice. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 39(6), 775–793. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2018-0015
Ahmadi, H. (2024). Managing Organizational Change in the Digital Era: The Interplay of Technological Advancements, Leadership, and Employee Adaptability. Leadership and Employee Adaptability (August 09, 2024). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4936389
Bass, B. M. (1996). New paradigm of leadership: An inquiry into transformational leadership. US Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Boon, J., Wynen, J., & Kleizen, B. (2021). What happens when the going gets tough? Linking change skepticism, organizational identification, and turnover intentions. Public Management Review, 23(7), 1056–1080. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1722208
Bouckenooghe, D., M. Schwarz, G., & Minbashian, A. (2015). Herscovitch and Meyer’s Three-Component model of commitment to change: Meta-analytic findings. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(4), 578–595. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2014.963059
Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and the planned approach to change: a re‐appraisal. Journal of Management Studies, 41(6), 977–1002. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00463.x
Carreño, A. M. (2024). An Analytical Review of John Kotter’s Change Leadership Framework: A Modern Approach to Sustainable Organizational Transformation. Available at SSRN 5044428. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5044428
Cieslak, V., & Valor, C. (2025). Moving beyond conventional resistance and resistors: an integrative review of employee resistance to digital transformation. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2442550. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2442550
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human Relations, 69(1), 33–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715577707
DeGhetto, K., Russell, Z. A., & Ferris, G. R. (2017). Organizational Change, Uncertainty, and Employee Stress: Sensemaking Interpretations of Work Environments and the Experience of Politics and Stress. In Power, Politics, and Political Skill in Job Stress (Vol. 15, pp. 105–135). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-355520170000015002
Fietz, B., Hillmann, J., & Guenther, E. (2021). Cultural Effects on Organizational Resilience: Evidence from the NAFTA Region. Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, 73(1), 5–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41471-021-00106-8
Fløvik, L., Knardahl, S., & Christensen, J. O. (2019). The effect of organizational changes on the psychosocial work environment: changes in psychological and social working conditions following organizational changes. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2845. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02845
Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., & D’Amelio, A. (2008). Resistance to change: The rest of the story. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2008.31193235
Georgiadis, V., & Sarigiannidis, L. (2025). Epictetus’ stoic philosophy glance at resistance to change. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2024-4681
Gibbons, P. (2015). The science of successful organizational change: How leaders set strategy, change behavior, and create an agile culture. FT Press.
Hassard, J., & Morris, J. (2020). Corporate restructuring, work intensification and perceptual politics: Exploring the ambiguity of managerial job insecurity. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 41(2), 323–350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X17710733
Helpap, S., & Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, S. (2016). Employees’ emotions in change: advancing the sensemaking approach. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 29(6), 903–916. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-05-2016-0088
Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123–127. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2016.07.002
Jerab, D., & Mabrouk, T. (2023). How to Design an Effective Organizational Structure & the 21 Century Trends. Available at SSRN 4584646. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4584646
Kolundzic, D. (2024). The Correlation Between Dimensions Of Work-Related Stress And Demographic Characteristics Of Employees In The Public Sector. International Journal of Management Trends: Key Concepts and Research, 3(2), 71–86. https://doi.org/10.58898/ijmt.v3i2.71-86
Kotter, J. P., Akhtar, V., & Gupta, G. (2025). Change: How organizations achieve hard-to-imagine results in uncertain and volatile times. John Wiley & Sons.
Kubiczek, W. (2024). Skills and leadership in the implementation of smart technology : adapting to change over time. http://essay.utwente.nl/104425/
Küçükatalay, T., Vardarlier, P., Vayvay, Ö., & Özsürünç, R. (2023). Identifying the factors affecting individual resistance against organizational change. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 4(1), 120–140. https://doi.org/10.52547/johepal.4.1.120
Lee, C., Huang, G.-H., & Ashford, S. J. (2018). Job Insecurity and the Changing Workplace: Recent Developments and the Future Trends in Job Insecurity Research. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5(1), 335–359. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104651
Lewin, K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics: Concept, method and reality in social science; social equilibria and social change. Human Relations, 1(1), 5–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674700100103
Li, J.-Y., Sun, R., Tao, W., & Lee, Y. (2021). Employee coping with organizational change in the face of a pandemic: The role of transparent internal communication. Public Relations Review, 47(1), 101984. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101984
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2022). The burnout challenge: Managing people’s relationships with their jobs. Harvard University Press.
Nambisan, S., Wright, M., & Feldman, M. (2019). The digital transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship: Progress, challenges and key themes. Research Policy, 48(8), 103773. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.03.018
Nunoo-Mensah, F., & Johnning, H. (2024). A qualitative study on resistance to change and its impact on organizational harmonization in M&As. https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/82033.
Odoardi, C., Battistelli, A., Montani, F., & Peiró, J. M. (2019). Affective commitment, participative leadership, and employee innovation: A multilevel investigation. Revista de Psicología Del Trabajo y de Las Organizaciones, 35(2), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.5039/jwop2019a12
Odulaja, B. A., Nnabugwu, O. C., Abdul, A. A., Udeh, C. A., & Daraojimba, C. (2023). HR’S role in organizational change within Nigeria’s renewable energy sector: a review. Engineering Science & Technology Journal, 4(5), 259–284. https://doi.org/10.51594/estj.v4i5.615
Oreg, S., & Berson, Y. (2015). Personality and charismatic leadership in context: The moderating role of situational stress. Personnel Psychology, 68(1), 49–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12073
Rastogi, A., Pati, S. P., Krishnan, T. N., & Krishnan, S. (2018). Causes, contingencies, and consequences of disengagement at work: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 17(1), 62–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484317754160
Rehman, N., Mahmood, A., Ibtasam, M., Murtaza, S. A., Iqbal, N., & Molnár, E. (2021). The psychology of resistance to change: the antidotal effect of organizational justice, support and leader-member exchange. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 678952. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678952
Salama, W., Abdou, A. H., Mohamed, S. A. K., & Shehata, H. S. (2022). Impact of work stress and job burnout on turnover intentions among hotel employees. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9724. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159724
Shirey, M. R. (2013). Lewin’s theory of planned change as a strategic resource. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 69–72. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e31827f20a9
Struckell, E., Ojha, D., Patel, P. C., & Dhir, A. (2022). Strategic choice in times of stagnant growth and uncertainty: An institutional theory and organizational change perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 182, 121839. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121839
Sufriyadi, A., & Perkasa, D. H. (2024). Manajemen perubahan Strategi Manajemen Perubahan Dan Kinerja Organisasi Pada Departemen Sales Di PT XYZ. Jurnal Perspektif Manajerial Dan Kewirausahaan (JPMK), 5(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.59832/jpmk.v5i1.268
Taegar, M. E., TARURHOR, E. M., & Oboreh, J. S. (2024). Organizational Change And Employee Work Related Stress: Evidence From Consumer Goods Industry In Nigeria. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(2), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v6i2.753
Tamunomiebi, M., & Akpan, E. (2021). Organizational change and the imperatives of managing employee resistance: A conceptual review. Journal of Strategic Management, 6(1), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.47672/jsm.683
Tu, Y., & Zou, T. (2024). Organizational change during economic downturns : Psychological drivers of employee resistance and management strategies. 9(8), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v9i8.2951
Vakola, M., Xanthopoulou, D., & Demerouti, E. (2023). Daily job crafting and adaptive performance during organizational change: the moderating role of managers’ influence tactics. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 59(2), 232–261. https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863221133622
Widjaja, P. (2023). Effective Employee Management in Times of Organizational Transformation. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 1(3), 137–149. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v1i3.195