Change Management and Employee Commitment of Tourism Industry in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

In a dynamic business environment, organizations that must remain relevant and viable are constrained with the challenge of championing and implementing change according to the environmental realities. This development presents a decision-making dilemma which managers must necessarily cope with because organizations and its members are averse to change. This study examined change management and employee commitment in the tourism industry in the Abuja FCT. Its specific objectives were: to ascertain the extent of relationship between communication of change and employee commitment in the tourism industry of Abuja FCT; and, to determine the extent of relationship between organizational training and employee normative commitment in the tourism industry of Abuja FCT. After taking reference from numerous related works, this study has been formulated on the basis of the model given by Kurt Lewin. With Taro Yamani's and Bowley's Proportionate sampling techniques, this study has selected a total of 196 samples. After collecting the primary data, Content Validity and Cronbach Coefficient alpha, Kaiser Meyer Olikin Measure of Sampling Adequacy and Bartlet's Test of Sphericity has been tested to ensure validity and reliability of the data collection tool. Various statistical techniques like Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, have been employed to test the hypothesis. Result indicates significant association between change and employee commitment. Also, there is a significant relationship between organizational training and employee normative commitment toward change in the tourism industry in Abuja FCT. This study concluded that employees who have previous knowledge, information and skill will be committed to both the change when implemented and to the organization in the long run. The study recommended that management of tourism industry should create a conducive work environment where there will be free flow of information to employees before and after change has been implemented to ensure employee continuous acceptance of change.