THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN MANAGING CHANGE - EXPERIENCE OF THE NSW PRIVATE BUS INDUSTRY

With the implementation of the 1990 Passenger Transport Act in New Sou th Wales, Australia, the urban bus industry moved from a rigid system of licensing towards performance-based contracts. The new focus, arisi ng out of the legislation centred on the quality of service delivery, presented challenges for management in motivating its staff to comply with the new ideals of serving passengers. To date, little attention h as been paid to the effects of organisational change on the role of mi ddle management, a key player in the transport sector. While the curre nt perception may be that the position of middle manager has been erod ed due to the wide-scale downsizing of middle management ranks across many industries, it is contended that the role of the middle manager i s reaffirmed particularly during organisational change. This paper ide ntifies the interaction of perceived satisfaction with the outcomes of change, organisational commitment and structure. When change is thrus t upon organisations, the commitment of the middle manager is vital. ( C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.