The Effect of Change Leadership on Employees’ Readiness for Change: The Mediating Role of Trust

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of change leadership on employees' readiness for change and the mediation role of trust in leaders in the relationship between change leadership and employees' readiness for change. A total of 513 samples were taken and questionnaires were distributed after conducting the pilot test to confirm the validity and reliability of the instruments. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The results show that the direct impact of change leadership on employees' readiness for change is significant. Furthermore, change leadership was found to have a significant impact on trust in leaders, and trust in leaders does mediate the relationship between change leadership and employees' readiness for change.  The study provides a platform for future research on the topic by considering different factors which would affect employees' readiness for change. Practically, this study helps change leaders realize the importance of leadership, trust in leader and readiness for change to effectively implement change initiatives. As this research is cross-sectional, longitudinal research should be conducted in the future to investigate the possible changes in the relationship between the variables.