Omstilling i posten: Organisatorisk tilknytning i en omstillingstid Kartlegging av omstillingsreaksjoner hos postansatte i forbindelse med nedlegging av postkontorer

Abstract

The present study investigated how organizational commitment among employees was affected during transition in the Norwegian Post Office. Special attention was given to those factors which affect organizational commitment in times of change; job satisfaction, evaluation of the ongoing transition, personality and social support. The study was mainly based on quantitative research methods. Two questionaires were distributed to 394 layoffs. 144 persons responded to the first questionnaire, 116 responded to the second questionnaire 8 months later. A large number of inventories was administrated. The quantitative data, as well as the qualitative, revealed that organizational commitment was not much affected during the transition. Job satisfaction and the layoff`s evaluation of the transition were releated to organizational commitment. It also revealed that different people respond and contribute to change differently. In addition the study revealed that social support was related to organizational commitment, but social support had no buffer effects on the relationships between organizational commitment and a) job satisfaction, b) evaluation of the ongoing transition, and c) various personality factors. Methodological weaknesses are discussed, and recommendations for further research are given.