Organizational Change and Employee Performance in Higher Education Institutions in Nepal

Authors

  • Mamata Prajapati University Grants Commission, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/irjmmc.v7i1.93165

Keywords:

organizational change, employee performance, technological change, leadership change, higher education institutions

Abstract

In modern institutions, organizational change is a crucial phenomenon that influences both employee performance and the overall efficiency of the institution. This study looks at how employee performance in Nepal's reaccredited higher education institutions (HEIs) is affected by organizational change, particularly changes in leadership and technology. A standard self-reported questionnaire was used to gather data from 270 employees of 11 reaccredited HEIs using a quantitative research approach. Multiple regression analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used in the study to evaluate the correlations between the variables. The results show that while leadership change has no statistically significant impact on employee performance, technology change considerably improves it. Employee performance and technology change were found to be strongly positively correlated by correlation analysis. Nonetheless, the weak association between leadership and technology advancements implies that these elements function separately. These results highlight the critical role that technology plays in increasing worker productivity and the necessity of making calculated investments in digital infrastructure and staff development. On the other hand, leadership changes by themselves could not have a direct impact on performance results, hence more research into the contextual elements affecting leadership efficacy is required. In addition to offering empirical insights for HEI administrators and policymakers to use in developing evidence-based methods to improve employee performance in the face of institutional upheavals, this study adds to the theoretical conversation on organizational change.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Mamata Prajapati, University Grants Commission, Nepal

    University Grants Commission, Nepal 

References

1. Adhikari, P., & Shrestha, S. (2020). Impact of governance instability on faculty performance in Nepalese higher education. Journal of Institutional Research, 15(2), 45-62.

2. Ahmed, S., Miller, V., & Jones, T. (2020). Resistance to technological change in organizations: The role of training programs. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(4), 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-09-2019-0278

3. Appelbaum, S. H., Habashy, S., Malo, J. L., & Shafiq, H. (2017). Back to the future: Revisiting Kotter’s 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), 764-782. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621711211253231

4. Armenakis, A. A., & Bedeian, A. G. (1999). Organizational change: A review of theory and research in the 1990s. Journal of Management, 25(3), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639902500303

5. Armenakis, A. A., Harris, S. G., & Mossholder, K. W. (2014). Creating readiness for organizational change. Human Relations, 46(6), 681-703. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872679304600601

6. Bal, P. M., De Jong, J., Jansen, P. G., & Bakker, A. B. (2017). Psychological contract breach and organizational citizenship behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 100, 105-121.

7. Bauer, T. N., & Simmons, B. L. (2021). Commitment during organizational restructuring: The role of role ambiguity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(3), 421-438.

8. Bhandari, R., & Aryal, G. (2021). The role of career development programs in mitigating psychological contract breach in Nepalese universities. South Asian Journal of Human Resources, 8(1), 78-92.

9. Britt, T. W., Shen, W., & Sinclair, R. R. (2020). How organizations can foster resilience. American Psychologist, 75(3), 319–332.

10. Brown, M., Clarke, R., & Davidson, S. (2020). Transformational leadership and job satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Leadership Quarterly, 31(2), 101-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101367

11. Burnes, B. (2019). Managing change: A strategic approach to organizational dynamics (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

12. Cascio, W. F. (2018). Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

13. Chaudhary, R. (2021). Employee performance measurement: A comprehensive review. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(3), 345-360. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2501

14. Clarke, R., & Davidson, S. (2022). Digital transformation and leadership: A review of the literature. Journal of Business Research, 145, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.045

15. Conway, N., & Briner, R. B. (2021). Understanding psychological contracts at work: Theory and research. Oxford University Press.

16. Coyle-Shapiro, J. A., & Parzefall, M. R. (2008). Psychological contract research: Theoretical and empirical developments. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 17(1), 1-9.

17. De Hauw, S., & De Vos, A. (2010). High commitment work systems and nurses’ well-being and performance: The mediating role of psychological contract fulfilment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(6), 1322-1333.

18. De Spiegelaere, S., Van Gyes, G., De Witte, H., Niesen, W., & Van Hootegem, G. (2014). On the relation of job insecurity, job autonomy, innovative work behaviour and the mediating effect of work engagement. Creativity and Innovation Management, 23(3), 318-330. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12079

19. Eisenbeiss, S. A., van Knippenberg, D., & Boerner, S. (2015). Transformational leadership and team innovation: Integrating team climate principles. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1438-1446. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013946

20. Gautam, S. (2021). Enhancing teaching effectiveness through adaptability in Nepalese higher education. Nepal Journal of Education, 21(1), 56-70.

21. Griffin, M., Yadav, S., & Sharma, R. (2021). Hybrid leadership models in digital workplaces: A grounded theory approach. Journal of Management Studies, 58(4), 789-812. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12678

22. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Pearson.

23. Hassan, A., Bashir, M., Waseem, M., & Khan, I. (2020). Impact of role flexibility on problem-solving skills in dynamic educational environments. Pakistan Journal of Education, 37(2), 115-128.

24. Herold, D. M., Fedor, D. B., & Caldwell, S. D. (2013). Beyond change management: A multilevel investigation of contextual and personal influences on employees’ commitment to change. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 942-951. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.942

25. Higgs, M. (2016). Leadership and change: A review of the literature. Journal of Change Management, 16(2), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2015.1128471

26. Holt, D. T., Armenakis, A. A., Feild, H. S., & Harris, S. G. (2017). Readiness for organizational change: The systematic development of a scale. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 43(2), 232-255. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886306295295

27. Jehn, K. A., & Bezrukova, K. (2019). The effects of conflict types, dimensions, and emergent states on group outcomes. Group Decision and Negotiation, 28(6), 769-799. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-019-09625-6

28. Johnson, P., & Kim, S. (2021). Leadership transition and performance: A quantitative analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(5), 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2502

29. Jones, T. (2020). The impact of organizational change on employee performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Management Studies, 57(4), 789-812. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12567

30. Kansal, S., & Singh, R. (2016). Employee attitudes towards organizational change: A review. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 29(3), 345-360. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-09-2015-0167

31. Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (2nd ed.). New Age International.

32. Kumar, R., & Verma, S. (2019). Automation and employee morale: A quantitative study. Journal of Business Research, 104, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.03.045

33. Kuntz, J. R., Näswall, K., Malinen, S., & Järvelä, I. (2017). Promoting adaptability through inclusive decision-making: The role of leader–member exchange. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 24(4), 431-444

34. Lee, S., & Mitchell, T. (2021). The impact of organizational change on employee satisfaction: A longitudinal study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(3), 345-360. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000801

35. Luthans, F., Vogelgesang, G. R., & Lester, P. B. (2016). Developing the psychological capital of resiliency. Human Resource Development Review, 5(1), 25-44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484305285335

36. Masten, A. S. (2018). Ordinary magic: Resilience in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238.

37. Miller, V., & Jones, T. (2019). Change communication and technological adoption: A meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 32(4), 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-09-2018-0256

38. Nguyen, T., & Tran, H. (2021). Digital training and employee performance: A quantitative analysis. Journal of Business Research, 125, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.045

39. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

40. Oreg, S., Vakola, M., & Armenakis, A. A. (2011). Change recipients’ reactions to organizational change: A 60-year review of quantitative studies. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 47(4), 461-524. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886310396550

41. Patel, R., & Sharma, S. (2019). Robotic process automation and HR performance: A mixed-method study. Journal of Business Research, 104, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.03.045

42. Poudel, P. P., & K.C., B. (2022). Stress management initiatives and their impact on employee resilience in Nepalese higher education. Journal of Management Research, 14(3), 89-104.

43. Pulakos, E. D., Arad, S., Donovan, M. A., & Plamondon, K. E. (2017). Adaptability in the workplace: Development of a taxonomy of adaptive performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(4), 612-624.

44. Rafferty, A. E., & Jimmieson, N. L. (2017). Subjective perceptions of organizational change and employee resistance to change: Direct and mediated relationships with employee well-being. British Journal of Management, 28(2), 248-264. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12200

45. Rafferty, A. E., & Restubog, S. L. D. (2017). The impact of change process and context on change reactions and turnover during a merger. Journal of Management, 43(4), 1234-1261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314557272

46. Robinson, S., & Clark, R. (2020). CEO transitions and employee turnover: A quantitative analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 41(5), 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2456

47. Rousseau, D. M. (2018). Psychological contracts in organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements. Sage Publications.

48. Shrestha, R., & Adhikari, B. (2020). Funding constraints and their impact on psychological contracts in Nepalese higher education. Economic Journal of Nepal, 43(1), 67-81.

49. Sharma, R., & Dahal, A. (2021). The effects of policy shifts on employee performance in higher education. Journal of Education and Research, 11(1), 123-138.

50. Smith, J., & Johnson, P. (2021). Digital transformation and employee efficiency: A quantitative study. Journal of Business Research, 125, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.045

51. Tett, R. P., & Meyer, J. P. (2016). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and turnover: Path analyses based on meta-analytic findings. Personnel Psychology, 46(2), 259-293. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1993.tb00874.x

52. Wang, Y., Zhang, L., & Liu, H. (2021). Digitalization and teamwork productivity: A quantitative analysis. Journal of Business Research, 125, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.045

53. Wanberg, C. R., & Banas, J. T. (2000). Predictors and outcomes of openness to changes in a reorganizing workplace. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(1), 132-142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.85.1.132

54. Williams, R., & Evans, S. (2019). AI-based decision-making and employee trust: A quantitative study. Journal of Business Research, 104, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.03.045

55. Yadav, S., & Sharma, R. (2020). Cloud computing adoption and workforce collaboration: A mixed-method study. Journal of Business Research, 125, 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.045

56. Youssef, C. M., & Luthans, F. (2017). Psychological capital and well-being. Stress and Health, 23(4), 137-147.

57. Zakiy, F. S., Falikhatun, F., & Fauziah, N. N. (2023). Sharia governance and organizational performance in zakat management organization: evidence from Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research.

58. Zhang, L., & Liu, M. (2020). The impact of automation on workforce adaptability: A grounded theory study. Journal of Workplace Adaptability, 15(3), 78-90.

59. Zhao, H., Wayne, S. J., Glibkowski, B. C., & Bravo, J. (2007). The impact of psychological contract breach on work-related outcomes: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 60(3), 647-680.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-31

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Organizational Change and Employee Performance in Higher Education Institutions in Nepal. (2026). International Research Journal of MMC (IRJMMC), 7(1), 406-428. https://doi.org/10.3126/irjmmc.v7i1.93165

Similar Articles

1-10 of 166

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)