Organizational change: the Australian experience

Organizational change is a complex phenomenon with potentially devastating consequences if not done correctly. Organizations in the global marketplace continue to experience tremendous change. This paper examines data from a survey, which examined approximately 2,000 workplaces on whether they had introduced change and the effects of these changes on the employees at the workplace. The paper considered these changes, which included such issues as downsizing, delayering and the introduction of new plant and/or technology, reason for changes and who decided to introduce the changes. It further considered the level of perceived consultation, which accompanied the change, the perceived barriers to the changes and the possible influence on productivity. Examination of the data indicates that there is no relationship between downsizing and productivity.