The effects of exerted effort and need for a project: When are we more or less open to change and likely to voice our concerns regarding change?

Abstract

This project explores people¿s reactions to change, focusing on openness to change and how likely are people to voice their concerns to authority figures. The particular change focused on is a project cancellation. We predict that people who have exerted greater levels of effort and have a greater need for a project will be less open to the change of canceling the project and more likely to voice concerns indirectly. Results supported predictions, however, participants were more likely to use somewhat indirect, rather than indirect, methods of voicing concerns. There is also an interaction effect: those people who have exerted the most effort and have the greatest need for the project are less likely to be open to the change and more likely to voice concerns, compared to those who have exerted less effort and have less need for the project.