An exploratory study of an experiential change program's impact on participants' affective outcomes

Purpose – This exploratory study seeks to examine the impact of an organization's experiential change program (ECP) on participants' affective outcomes. Considering the design and learning objectives of the research organization's ECP, it aims to examine five affective outcomes: organizational alignment, organizational engagement, organizational identification, motivation to change, and job motivation. Design/methodology/approach – Pre‐ and post‐assessments were completed by mid‐level managers at the research organization. Scores were examined to measure any significant differences between their affective outcomes before and after participating in the ECP. Findings – Results revealed significant increases across all five affective outcomes with organizational alignment demonstrating the largest change. The theoretical and practical significance behind these findings is discussed. Originality/value – This study extends the landscape of literature on divergent types of implementation methods used to bring about organizational change. Further, this exploratory valuation study offers preliminary evidence underscoring the utility of ECPs.