The development of an instrument for measuring organisational inertia

Abstract

This study had a dual purpose: firstly, to integrate the wide variety of seemingly diverse theoretical perspectives of various theorists with respect to organisational inertia into a single umbrella theoretical model. Secondly, to develop a measuring instrument that is based on the aforesaid theoretical model. The instrument was completed by 617 respondents in various industrial sectors undergoing transformation. Responses obtained on the 109 items were then subjected to a factor analysis and the two scales obtained were subjected to further iterative item analyses. Results indicate that organisational inertia is a oneimensional construct. The implications of these findings are further discussed. Opsomming Die doel van hierdie studie was tweeledig, naamlik om in die eerste plek, die groot verskeidenheid van oënskynlik ulteenlopende teoretiese perspektiewe van verskillende teoretici rakende organisatoriese traagheid in 'n enkele sambreelmodel te integreer. Tweedens om 'n meetinstrument te ontwikkel wat op die voorgenoemde teoretiese model gebaseer is. Die instrument is deur 617 proefpersone ingevul/ in verskeie bedryfsektore wat tans transformasie ondergaan. Response op 109 items is hierna aan 'n faktorontledmg onderwerp en die twee verkree skale is aan verdere iteratiewe-itemontledings onderwerp. Resultate dui daarop dat organisatoriese traagheid 'n eendimensionele konstruk is. Die implikasies van die bevindinge word verder bespreek.