Internal change through external actions: the impact of external corporate social responsibility on employee readiness for change

Purpose Employee readiness for change is essential for long-term organizational success. However, organizations often struggle to generate employee support for change as they fail to mitigate associated uncertainties. Studies exploring possible antecedents of employee readiness for change primarily focus on internal organizational practices, while external practices have been overlooked in the discussion. Drawing from uncertainty reduction theory, we examine how external organizational practices in terms of external CSR positively affect readiness for change. Design/methodology/approach In a survey of 377 employees from 29 German companies, we test the hypothesized chain of effects between external CSR, perceived organizational support, perceived uncertainty, and readiness for change by using structural equation modeling. Findings Results from structural equation modeling demonstrate a positive relationship between external CSR and readiness for change, which is sequentially mediated by perceptions of organizational support and uncertainty. Originality/value By highlighting the role of external organizational practices in promoting change readiness, the paper offers new insights into the mechanisms of effective change management.