Employee engagement and change attitudes: a multimodel approach encompassing change communication and continuance commitment – empirical evidence from Indian IT sector

Purpose This paper aims to examine how employee engagement (EE) influences organizational change attitudes, including cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects, through change communication (CC) and continuance commitment (CCM) to understand the psychological processes behind employee responses. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based methodology was used, targeting 216 IT employees from major tech hubs in southern India. Structural equation modeling via SmartPLS 4.1.0 was used to test two models: one evaluating direct and mediated relationships and the other examining the moderating role of CCM. Findings EE positively impacts cognitive, affective and behavioral attitudes toward change. CC mediates these relationships by enhancing trust and clarity. However, CCM moderates these effects, weakening the positive influence of engagement on attitudes, particularly behavioral attitudes. The findings highlight a dual role of CCM, facilitating obligation-driven compliance while diminishing intrinsic support for change initiatives. Social implications This study highlights the need for a resilient and adaptable workforce in the post-pandemic era, balancing economic goals with employee well-being and intrinsic motivation. While engaged employees may support change, high CCM can still lead to passive compliance, emphasizing transparent communication, career development, and participative decision-making. Strengthening employee engagement and trust in change processes helps organizations navigate technological disruptions and achieve long-term sustainability. Originality/value This study’s novelty lies in its dual-model approach: Model 1 establishes the mediating role of CC, while Model 2 introduces CCM as a moderator to capture its paradoxical effects. Unlike earlier research treating commitment as one-dimensional, the results show CC strengthens the engagement–attitude link, while CCM weakens it, particularly for behavioral attitudes. Thus, CC plays dual roles in compliance and resistance. This perspective advances by integrating engagement, communication and commitment frameworks in the information technology (IT) sector’s change context. The study offers actionable insights for adaptive learning organizations to improve change adoption while reducing CCM’s unintended effects.