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 service
organizations are inevitable in order to be successful. Therefore, this study
investigated the effect of organizational change on the performance of public
service organizations. Specifically, the study aimed at investigating the effect of
business process reengineering and restructuring on the performance of public
organizations. Dynamic capability and empirical literature guided the
development of hypotheses. The study employed a cross-sectional research
design with a quantitative approach, and a structured questionnaire was used
as the main instrument for data collection from senior officers as
representatives of Malawian public services organizations. The study used
multiple linear regression aided by SPSS software to assess the specified model
and test established hypotheses by using data from 166 senior officers of public
service organizations in Malawi. Findings indicate that business process
reengineering and restructuring have a significant positive effect on
organizational performance. This study contributes to the importance of
organizational change in the dynamic environment in which organizations are
affected by the business environment, thus adhering to the dynamic capability
perspective. Thus, for organizations to prosper, managers should strive to
improve processes (reorganizing activities) and restructuring to ensure cost
minimization while adding quality to services.

Keywords: Business Process Re-engineering, Restructuring, Ministries, Departments and
Agencies