Building Resilience and Organizational Readiness During Healthcare Facility Redevelopment Transitions: Is It Possible to Thrive?

OBJECTIVE: Hospital redevelopment constitutes a revolutionary change that can face strong resistance from employees. Few studies have examined how employee readiness for change relates to adjustment outcomes typically captured in post-occupancy evaluation (POE). The relationship between organizational readiness and employee adjustment is examined in the context of a POE conducted during a hospital redevelopment.
BACKGROUND: Our study focuses on the redevelopment of a complex continuing care and rehabilitation hospital that underwent complete physical redevelopment and major shifts in operational and organizational processes.
METHODS: Using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design, staff organizational readiness was assessed using surveys at four time periods: 6 months prior to the move (n = 125), 2 months prior to the move (n = 84), 3 months after the move (n = 187), and 6 months after the move (n = 194). Measures included organizational readiness, workplace satisfaction, psychological factors (well-being and optimism), and sociodemographic information.
RESULTS: Findings suggest readiness changes from pre- to post-move, with notable drops just prior (2 months) and just post (3 months) hospital move. Employees demonstrated significant increases in workplace satisfaction and interprofessional relationships from 6 months prior to the move to 6 months after. Results suggest that higher readiness is related to improved employee adjustment.
CONCLUSIONS: A supportive change environment was found to encourage positive employee outcomes in the face of revolutionary change. It is recommended that change management activities be tailored not only to employee need but also to the timing of the change process.