2025 Theses Doctoral

Applying a Systems Psychodynamics Lens to Examine Group Processes Influencing Organizational Readiness for Change: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Kumar, Ramya

Although current change literature is replete with prescriptive models on how to effectively implement organizational change, empirical evidence indicates that the success rate of organizational change continues to be low. Additionally, while several researchers argue that understanding both overt and covert dynamics in groups and teams is crucial for successfully navigating organizational change, research on the role of covert group processes in OCR is limited. The first goal of this comprehensive research was to address this gap in the literature by using an evidence-based approach to examine the role of both overt and covert group processes in developing organizational change readiness (OCR).

This paper used a systems psychodynamics approach to explore the system, i.e., the structural aspects of the organizational change, as well as the psychoanalytic perspectives within that system, such as individual experiences, affective responses to change, and conscious and unconscious group processes pertaining to change. Affect was assessed in three ways – by incorporating visual research methods such as images to access change-related affect and unconscious implicit dynamics, through an affect scale, and via interviews. The second goal of this research was to explore the use of a mixed-methods multiple-case design to collect and analyze data to leverage the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative methods and enable cross-case comparisons to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the topic.

The research findings demonstrated that employees’ affective responses to change significantly influenced OCR in both groups. Specifically, the results revealed a statistically significant difference in affect between the two groups as well as significant associations between affect and the change readiness measures of need for change, leadership alignment, and vision for change in both groups. Furthermore, the mixed-methods analysis uncovered the prevalence of covert subgroup dynamics and sources of resistance that likely influenced affect and change efforts in both groups. Finally, the multiple-case design used in this research elucidated the importance of considering contextual and within-group factors such as organizational culture, change history, industry, and employee demographics in developing change readiness.

These findings emphasize the need for organizations to incorporate examining employees’ affective response to change as an integral part of their assessment of change readiness. Moreover, it is critical for organizations to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data to gain valuable insights into both overt and covert group processes prevalent at the intergroup, intragroup, and organizational levels, and evaluate their potential impact on developing OCR.