Exploring Employee Outcomes of Organizational Restructuring

Previous research on the effects of organizational restructuring has primarily been conducted using self-report cross-sectional data. These forms of data are vulnerable to several threats to both internal and external validity. Using a Solomon four-group design, this study examined the effects of an organizational restructuring while simultaneously testing for the effects of pretesting, history, and interactions between pretesting and the organizational restructuring. Results suggest the organizational restructuring had consistent negative effects on employee levels of job security, organizational commitment, perceptions of time pressure, psychological well-being, and turnover intentions. Effects on job satisfaction, physical health, and perceptions of role ambiguity were less consistently noted. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed and directions for future research are proposed.