Perceived organizational culture and its influence on employees’ change readiness in Malawi state-owned enterprises

Abstract

This study examined the effect of organisational culture on employees' readiness towards change at two Eswatini state-owned enterprises. Guided by a positive research philosophy, the study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional research design. Daya was collected from a stratified sample of 543 permanent employees using the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and the Readiness Toward Change Scale (RTCS). Reliability was assessed by using Cronbach's alpha, while confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression were employed to examine the relationship and predictive effects among the variables. The results revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between organisational culture and readiness towards change. Market culture emerged as the strongest predictor of readiness towards change, followed by hierarchical culture, Adhocracy culture, and clan culture. These findings suggest that performance orientation, structural clarity, adaptability, and relational cohesion jointly contribute to enhancing employee readiness for organisational change. From the business ecosystem and strategic management perspective, the findings highlight the importance of cultivating an adaptive organisational culture as a key enabler of sustainable performance, ethical governance, and stakeholder trust. At a broader socio-economic level, strengthening organisational culture and employee readiness for change within state-owned enterprises can enhance productivity, promote social equity, and support inclusive growth, reinforcing Eswatini's business and socio-economic ecosystem.

Keywords: {'name': 'Organisational culture'}, {'name': 'Readiness to change'}, {'name': 'Social exchange theory'}

Authors & affiliations

Jeremy Mitonga-Monga
University of Johannesburg

Samuel Kaleke
University of Johannesburg

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