title: The impact of leadership changes on non- managerial employees in a bank that is undergoing change and transformation following change in shareholders and overall business philosophy - a perspective of a bank in Zambia
Creators: name: Simatyaba, Clergy
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2022

description: ABSTRACT The central focus of this action research was to advance knowledge regarding how non-managerial employees felt impacted and reacted to a leadership change in a newly acquired organization and subsequently to help the organization to manage the impact of these reactions on its operations. The organization under study was a private bank, a subsidiary of a regional bank that had recently changed its main shareholders and its leadership in the process. The study, which was based on action research methodology, followed a qualitative approach (Bryman 2008; Cunliffe 2010; Tracy, 2010; Marshall &amp; Rossman 2016; Creswell &amp; Poth 2016) gathering data from research participants using focus group method, observing the non-managerial employees during their duties and recording any significant change related to their actions. Further data was collected through semi structured interviews and formal questionnaires with non-managerial employees (Rowley, 2012). The study reveals that the abrupt leadership change had a major impact especially on non-managerial employees who were experiencing the leadership change for the first time. The findings show the leadership change created a cultural shock which employees had not been used to before. Anxieties and stress affected the employees’ sense of belonging to the organization. This created a managerial problem that needed to be addressed through a series of actions. It was established that the major solution to this problem was for the organization to understand that the non-managerial employees needed to be engaged and helped through the change process. This means that the organization had to engage into deliberate actions meant to influence the non-managerial employees to align and accept the transformation taking place in the organization. The actionable knowledge thus focused around three key change activities: i) Planning and preparing all the stakeholders for the leadership change management process – done through provision of counselling services to employees, encourage positive thinking through staff networks and the Human Capital department embracing the habit to communicate anticipated changes ii) Choosing appropriate communication methods with all the key stakeholders throughout the leadership change process-done through organized staff town hall meetings, encouraging positive informal meetings among staff members to discuss the benefits of the change. iii) Deploying and maintaining deliberate non-managerial employee engagement methods throughout the change transformation process. – staff awards, employees-leader meetings, The study demonstrates that the best way to help non managerial employees through a leadership change and the transformation that goes with it is for the organization to look at its change management processes and ensure they support a strong stakeholder commitment. It demonstrates the need for non-managerial employees to have a ‘voice’ in the leadership change management processes and practices.