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Change fatigue: Development and initial validation of a new measure
Abstract
Although organizational change often places strain on employees, few studies have explored the impact of multiple organizational changes on their well-being and withdrawal, including organizational commitment and turnover intentions. To provide a means of directly investigating such issues, we developed a measure of change fatigue, and then empirically examined its implications for employees. Using data from change consultants and a manufacturing organization in the United States that had undertaken a number of organizational changes over the last three years, the authors developed a six-item measurement scale, obtained initial evidence of construct validity, and then investigated the relationship between change fatigue and harmful outcomes, including exhaustion, organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Results indicated that change fatigue was positively associated with exhaustion, and exhaustion was in turn negatively related to organizational commitment and positively related to turnover intentions. Implications for organizations and employees facing multiple changes are discussed.
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“Change fatigue consists of a three-item instrument adapted from Bernerth et al. (2011).”
From Creating a workforce of fatigued cynics? A randomized controlled trial of implementing an algorithmic decision-making support tool (2024) · cites this paper as Bernerth et al. (2011)
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“The observed indirect associations in this model not only respond to Bernerth et al.’s (2011) call for an in-depth exploration of the mechanisms underlying the consequences of change fatigue but also provide new empirical evidence for the resource caravan passageways principle of COR theory.”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Bernerth, J. B., Walker, H. J., & Harris, S. G.
- Affiliations
- Louisiana State University (US)
- Texas Tech University (US)
- Auburn University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bernerth, Jeremy B.
- Venue
- Work & Stress
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-10
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 321-337
- ISSN
- 0267-8373 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-5335
- OpenAlex
- W2155823771
- Cited by
- 183
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 5.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Work & Stress (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Organizational Change and Leadership
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Organizational Management and Change
- Keywords
- change fatigue, organizational change, employee well-being, exhaustion, organizational commitment, turnover intention, scale development, construct validity, work withdrawal
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