Impact of work‐related values upon attitudes toward changes and organizational learning in Chinese organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore understanding about impact of work‐related values on attitudes toward changes and organizational learning in Chinese organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Research was conducted with 1,303 respondents from 29 Chinese companies in 2005‐2006. The companies were from two areas: Peking and Jinan. The respondents filled out three questionnaires: a questionnaire about work‐related values, a questionnaire about attitudes toward changes and a questionnaire about organizational learning. A principal component analysis and factor analyses using varimax rotation was completed for all three questionnaires. Findings – This study emphasises the importance of knowing the work‐related values of employees in shaping attitudes toward changes and learning, which are key success factors during organizational changes. Based on connections between work‐related values, organizational learning and attitudes toward changes, the authors developed a model of the impact of work‐related values on organizational learning and attitudes toward changes in Chinese companies. Originality/value – From the findings, the authors have developed some implications for managers of Chinese organizations and also for foreign managers in multinational corporations in China.