The Effect of Organizational Change on the Performance of Public Service Organizations in Malawi

Abstract

As noted in other types of organizations, changes in public serviceorganizations are inevitable in order to be successful. Therefore, this studyinvestigated the effect of organizational change on the performance of publicservice organizations. Specifically, the study aimed at investigating the effect ofbusiness process reengineering and restructuring on the performance of publicorganizations. Dynamic capability and empirical literature guided thedevelopment of hypotheses. The study employed a cross-sectional researchdesign with a quantitative approach, and a structured questionnaire was usedas the main instrument for data collection from senior officers asrepresentatives of Malawian public services organizations. The study usedmultiple linear regression aided by SPSS software to assess the specified modeland test established hypotheses by using data from 166 senior officers of publicservice organizations in Malawi. Findings indicate that business processreengineering and restructuring have a significant positive effect onorganizational performance. This study contributes to the importance oforganizational change in the dynamic environment in which organizations areaffected by the business environment, thus adhering to the dynamic capabilityperspective. Thus, for organizations to prosper, managers should strive toimprove processes (reorganizing activities) and restructuring to ensure costminimization while adding quality to services. Keywords: Business Process Re-engineering, Restructuring, Ministries, Departments andAgencies