The missing link in sustainable change: leveraging displayed perspective-taking for technological transformation

Purpose Aiming to deepen understanding of managerial communication strategies that can foster transformational change while enhancing employee wellbeing, we examine whether managers' perspective-taking displays, intended to regulate employees' emotions, mitigate resistance to robotization and we explore the psychological mechanisms underlying this effect. Design/methodology/approach To test the model, an experimental study was conducted with 203 participants. The collected data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2022) to test sequential mediation. Findings This study revealed the fact that displayed perspective-taking by managers reduces turnover intentions in employees. Displays of perspective-taking increase psychological safety, which in turn attenuates anger and fear and, indirectly, turnover intentions and sabotage. Research limitations/implications While the experimental design supports internal validity, the use of vignettes limits ecological realism and the generalizability of findings beyond the studied context. Additionally, the findings may not be generalized to cultural contexts different from those studied. Practical implications This model offers valuable managerial insights by demonstrating how interpersonal emotion regulation strategies, particularly displayed perspective-taking, can effectively address employees' resistance to robotization during organizational change. Originality/value Prior work has largely treated emotional displays as dispositional leadership traits rather than deliberate communicative strategies. This study extends that literature by examining displayed perspective-taking as an intentional interpersonal emotion regulation practice enacted during change communication. This study expands the arsenal of change communication strategies to facilitate employee acceptance of digital change in organizations. Demonstrating managers' interpersonal emotion regulation as a viable approach underscores the importance of incorporating emotion regulation into strategies to foster acceptance during organizational change. Additionally, it highlights the mechanism by which psychological safety influences employee resistance.