ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE CAPABILITY THROUGH A MULTISECTORAL STUDY: DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOMETRIC VALIDATION OF THE “CHANGE MANAGEMENT SCALE”

Abstract

In today’s dynamic organizational environments, the capability to manage change effectively has become a critical determinant of institutional success and sustainability. This study aims to develop and validate the Change Management Scale (CMS), a multidimensional tool designed to assess organizations’ ability to plan, implement, and institutionalize change. The research employed a quantitative design and collected data from three sectors—education, healthcare, and energy/renewable energy—where change processes are both rapid and deeply impactful. To establish the structural validity of the CMS, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted on data obtained from three independent sample groups. Criterion-related validity was examined through correlations between the CMS and the Openness to Organizational Change Scale, demonstrating a positive and significant relationship. The EFA and CFA results supported a three-factor structure—Strategic Decision and Leadership, Preparation and Planning, and Implementation, Monitoring, and Institutionalization—with satisfactory model fit indices. Reliability analyses revealed Cronbach’s alpha coefficients above .70 for all dimensions, indicating high internal consistency. The findings confirm that the CMS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring change management practices across diverse organizational settings. Its concise structure and sector-neutral design make it suitable for application in various industries and cultural contexts. The CMS contributes to both theory and practice by providing researchers and practitioners with a practical framework for assessing, monitoring, and enhancing organizational change capability. The scale items are presented in both English and Turkish at the end of the study.