The Line-Manager as a Crucial Link During an Organizational Change

Abstract: Earlier studies have identified factors that could be a threat to an employee'swell-being, performance, and motivation during an organizational change.However, there is a lack of research on hierarchical management organizationsand a line-manager's part of how a change is delivered to employees. With theuse of self-determination theory as a basis, this study examined a top-manager'smotivation style towards their line-managers, in the context of anorganizational change, and whether the line-manager's basic psychologicalneeds are satisfied. The hypothesis for the present study expresses: A linemanager'slevel of satisfaction with its basic psychological is associated withits top-manager's motivation style orientation. The sample (N= 52) consists oftwo levels of management, top-managers, and line-managers, and this studyshows a between-subject effect, and a within-subject effect, where, based onmotivation style, the rating on experienced satisfaction and frustration aredifferent. The proposal for further research suggests taking all the differenthierarchical management levels into account during an organizational change.