As discussed in my last article, the breakdown in behavior change often stems not from flawed techniques, but from weak engagement. Specifically, lack of engagement with the change initiative and its reinforcement mechanisms, rather than general organizational engagement.

The Change Engagement Model (CEM) (also discussed in a previous article) is a framework based on the JD-R model* that is designed to understand and optimize employee reactions to organizational change. It defines change engagement as a proactive and enthusiastic psychological state, distinct from general employee engagement, specifically focused on supporting and adopting organizational changes.

The model proposes that organizational, job, and personal resources, along with job demands, influence this engagement, aiming to provide a comprehensive tool for both researchers and practitioners to diagnose, manage, and enhance employee preparedness for continuous organizational transformation. Ultimately, the CEM seeks to fill a theoretical gap by integrating established concepts from both engagement and change management literatures into a coherent, practically applicable model for navigating the constant evolution within contemporary workplaces.

In the framework, change engagement is proposed as a more affectively activated, high-arousal, proactive, agentic, and motivational expression than previously researched positive change attitudes such as readiness for change, openness to change, or commitment to change. It shifts the focus from merely being non-resistant to actively being energized and motivated by change.

The elements within the CEM’s framework offer a mix of potential top-down and bottom-up targets for “resource-boosting interventions”. This can be helpful for managers, change agents, employees, and other relevant stakeholders. For example, here are some ways the CEM could be practically applied to increase engagement around a change initiative.

Change-Related Organizational Resources

Organizational resources are system-level aspects that influence employee attitudes and behavior and are crucial for the success of ongoing change. They include:

Tactic	Description
Senior Leadership Support	Ensure clear communication about the importance and constancy of the change.Provide active and visible sponsorship, support, and resourcing for the ongoing change.Clarify expected outcomes and behavioral expectations for the change.Exhibit transformational change leadership by inspiring and involving others and modeling the desired behaviors.
HRM and Organizational Change Capability	Establish dedicated change resources and infrastructure to support change capabilities within the organization.Integrate and strategically align HR and organizational development (OD) change resources.Implement change-focused HR & OD functions such as selection, socialization, performance management, and training & development that support the change.Manage the change portfolio and organizational change capacity to avoid overwhelming the system.
Organizational Culture and Climate	Cultivate a culture for change with explicit change-related values like innovation, creativity, flexibility, and adaptability.Foster a climate for change where organizational policies, practices, and procedures are perceived as supportive of and promoting change.Encourage empowerment and a team orientation with an external and customer focus.

Change-Related Job Resources

These are supports and arrangements available at the job level that help employees successfully adapt to organizational changes impacting their roles.

Tactic	Description
Increase Autonomy	Provide employees with change autonomy, allowing them some control over how they adapt to and implement changes in their job role.
Foster Participation and Involvement	Actively involve employees in change participation and involvement in the design and execution of change processes.
Provide Supervisor Support	Ensure consistent supervisor support for change, as managers who are perceived as competent and trustworthy lead to more change-ready employees.
Enhance Information Flow	Provide sufficient information about ongoing change to reduce uncertainty and help employees understand the context and purpose.
Offer Development Opportunities	Provide ongoing training and development related to the change, and skill development opportunities to equip employees with new capabilities.
Give Feedback	Offer feedback about ongoing change to help employees understand their progress and the impact of their efforts.

Change-Related Personal Resources

These refer to enduring psychological states or mindsets that shape an individual’s ability to successfully adapt to a changing work environment. Change agents can support the development of these resources in individuals.

Tactic	Description
Build Psychological Capital	Support the development of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy related to the change, as these help individuals adapt and are positively associated with change engagement.
Enhance Self-Esteem	Foster change-related organization-based self-esteem through positive reinforcement.
Facilitate Meaning-Making	Help employees find meaning-making in the change, connecting it to their personal values or broader purpose.
Shape Mindsets	Support employees in developing change-related self-management and self-leadership skills.
Cultivate Psychological Safety	Create an environment of change-related psychological safety, where employees feel safe to experiment, learn, and express concerns without fear of negative consequences.

Change-Related Job Demands

These are the intellectual, physical, psychological, and social responses required by employees during change that can deplete their energy and well-being. Change agents should identify and mitigate these demands.

Tactic	Description
Address Workload	Implement strategies to reduce change-related work overload, which can lead to exhaustion and stress.
Reduce Ambiguity	Minimize change-related job ambiguity by providing clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations during the transition.
Resolve Role Conflict	Address and mitigate change-related role conflict that may arise from new processes or structures.
Manage Insecurity	Actively manage change-related job insecurity and uncertainty through transparent communication and support.
Support Emotional Demands	Provide support for employees experiencing change-related emotional demands, recognizing the psychological toll change can take.
Mitigate Work Intensification	Monitor and prevent excessive change-related work intensification.

By leveraging the CEM as a diagnostic tool, organizations can gather data through surveys or interviews to understand how employees are experiencing the change initiative across these different categories. This data can then inform where to allocate and develop resources appropriately and guide targeted interventions to “resource-boost” employee engagement.

The model emphasizes a “systems” approach to organizational change, recognizing that organizational, job, and personal resources are interconnected and must be measured, embedded, and developed holistically to enable successful implementation and adoption of ongoing change. The ultimate goal is to move employees beyond passive non-resistance to being energized, willing to experiment, and actively supportive of new initiatives.

CEM provides a novel synthesis by taking the robust theoretical framework of the JD-R model from the engagement literature and applying its structure of resources and demands specifically to the dynamics of organizational change. In doing so, it creates a new, coherent, and practically useful model for understanding and managing employee attitudes and behaviors during change.

If we want behavior change to stick, we must stop asking people to do more and start asking what they need to want to do more. CEM helps us shift from building interventions to building energy, focus, and ownership. In doing so, we move beyond short-term compliance into long-term transformation.

* The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model is a widely used and cited theoretical framework that explains employee engagement. It describes how different aspects of the work environment influence employee well-being and performance.

Sources:

Albrecht, S., Connaughton, S., Foster, K., Furlong, S. & Yeow, C. (2020), “Change Engagement, Change Resources, and Change Demands: A Model for Positive Employee Orientations to Organizational Change”, Frontiers in Psychology, (11)531944.