Employee change orientation (echo) framework: A meta-review and taxonomy

Abstract

Given the ubiquity of organizational change, it is fitting that considerable research has focused on employees’ responses to change, much of it collated in review articles. With the aim of integrating this diverse review literature and providing an employee-centric theorization, we provide a meta-review, a systematic review of reviews. We present the meta-construct of employee change orientation (EChO), which aggregates employee responses, attitudes, behaviors, and the associated psychological mechanisms related to organizational change. Our meta-review includes 50 scholarly reviews published between 2001 and June 2025, drawing on 1,606 primary studies. Through a synthesis of these reviews, we present the EChO framework and taxonomy. We identify areas for improvement, particularly for research design, and generate key insights for change practitioners working with employees experiencing change. Our meta-review contributes by clarifying well-researched areas, extending theorizing, and highlighting the need for further research to understand how employee responses to change influence outcomes.