Factors Affecting Acceptance of Organizational Change: A Qualitatitive Analysis in the Pharmaceutical Industry

This exploratory qualitative study examines the relationships between organizational change factors including the occurrence of change, personal and work related barriers, and employee buy-in. The sample consisted of 20 individuals from seven different departments of a pharmaceutical products manufacturing firm that had recently undergone a major organizational change that impacted the entire workforce. Research questions were formed to examine the acceptance of organizational change, the perceived occurrence of organizational change, as well as personal and work force barriers. Results from the interviews suggest that the occurrence of change as well as personal and workforce barriers contributed to the participants’ acceptance levels towards change. These findings suggest that it is vital for organizations to understand factors that relate to employees’ willingness to accept change