IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v15y2025i4p126-d1623786.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Public Sector Transformation in Emerging Economies: Factors Affecting Change Adoption in Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammad Kamran Nawaz

    (Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L1 9DE, UK)

  • Ahmed Eltweri

    (Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L1 9DE, UK)

  • Khalid Abbas

    (Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L1 9DE, UK)

  • Wa’el Al-Karaki

    (International Business School, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK)

  • Farag Edghiem

    (Digital Marketing Communications, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BG, UK)

  • Scott Foster

    (Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L1 9DE, UK)

  • Munir Adali

    (Department of Administrative and Financial Sciences, Al-Zahraa Higher Institute of Science and Technology, Tripoli, Libya)

Abstract

Organizational change remains a significant challenge in developing countries, often hindered by entrenched bureaucratic cultures and resistance to reform. This study investigates the key determinants of change acceptance among public sector employees in Pakistan, focusing on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region. Using a survey of 320 public sector workers, this research examines employee attitudes toward organizational change through a multi-conceptual framework that incorporates technical, organizational, and environmental factors. Ten influencing factors were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS. The findings reveal a strong positive relationship between nine factors—change management, IT infrastructure, reward systems, technical competency, top management support, legal frameworks, organizational culture, and HRM practices—and employees’ willingness to accept change. This study presents a robust explanatory model with high predictive power for change acceptance. It provides valuable insights into reform dynamics in developing nations and offers practical strategies to guide successful public sector change management initiatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammad Kamran Nawaz & Ahmed Eltweri & Khalid Abbas & Wa’el Al-Karaki & Farag Edghiem & Scott Foster & Munir Adali, 2025. "Public Sector Transformation in Emerging Economies: Factors Affecting Change Adoption in Pakistan," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-27, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:4:p:126-:d:1623786
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/4/126/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/4/126/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ingrid Vorwerk Marren & Annemarie Davis & Charmaine M. Williamson, 2024. "Strategizing for survival – enablers of South African not-for-profit organization sustainability," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 2323775-232, December.
    2. Bernard Burnes & Rune By, 2012. "Leadership and Change: The Case for Greater Ethical Clarity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 108(2), pages 239-252, June.
    3. Zubir Azhar & Ervina Alfan & Krishnen Kishan & Nurul Husna Assanah, 2022. "Accrual Accounting at Different Levels of the Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 32(1), pages 36-62, March.
    4. Tina Øllgaard Bentzen, 2021. "Breaking the Vicious Circle of Escalating Control: Connecting Politicians and Public Employees through Stewardship," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Dafe, Florence & Hager, Sandy & Naqvi, Natalya & Wansleben, Leon, 2022. "Introduction: the structural power of finance meets financialization," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115782, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Andrews, Matt & Pritchett, Lant & Woolcock, Michael, 2017. "Building State Capability: Evidence, Analysis, Action," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198747482, Decembrie.
    7. Harold M. L. Utouh & Felician Andrew Kitole, 2024. "Forecasting effects of foreign direct investment on industrialization towards realization of the Tanzania development vision 2025," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 2376947-237, December.
    8. Weerakkody, Vishanth & El-Haddadeh, Ramzi & Sabol, Tomas & Ghoneim, Ahmad & Dzupka, Peter, 2012. "E-government implementation strategies in developed and transition economies: A comparative study," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 66-74.
    9. van der Voet, Joris, 2014. "The effectiveness and specificity of change management in a public organization: Transformational leadership and a bureaucratic organizational structure," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 373-382.
    10. Oliver Neumann & Katharina Guirguis & Reto Steiner, 2024. "Exploring artificial intelligence adoption in public organizations: a comparative case study," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 114-141, January.
    11. Seogjun Lee & Seung Woon Oh & Kichan Nam, 2016. "Transformational and Transactional Factors for the Successful Implementation of Enterprise Architecture in Public Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-15, May.
    12. Florence Dafe & Sandy Brian Hager & Natalya Naqvi & Leon Wansleben, 2022. "Introduction: The Structural Power of Finance Meets Financialization," Politics & Society, , vol. 50(4), pages 523-542, December.
    13. Ben Krishna & Satish Krishnan & M. P. Sebastian, 2023. "Examining the Relationship between National Cybersecurity Commitment, Culture, and Digital Payment Usage: An Institutional Trust Theory Perspective," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 1713-1741, October.
    14. Olatunde Julius Otusanya, 2011. "Corruption as an obstacle to development in developing countries: a review of literature," Journal of Money Laundering Control, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 14(4), pages 387-422, October.
    15. Isaac Kofi Mensah, 2020. "Impact of Government Capacity and E-Government Performance on the Adoption of E-Government Services," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(4), pages 303-311, March.
    16. Yujuan Wu & Jacquline Tham, 2023. "The Impact of Executive Green Incentives and Top Management Team Characteristics on Corporate Value in China: The Mediating Role of Environment, Social and Government Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-23, August.
    17. Rosie Collington, 2022. "Disrupting the Welfare State? Digitalisation and the Retrenchment of Public Sector Capacity," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 312-328, March.
    18. Chun-Liang Chen & Yao-Chin Lin & Wei-Hung Chen & Cheng-Fu Chao & Henry Pandia, 2021. "Role of Government to Enhance Digital Transformation in Small Service Business," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-24, January.
    19. Soonae Park & Don S. Lee & Jieun Son, 2021. "Regulatory reform in the era of new technological development: The role of organizational factors in the public sector," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 894-908, July.
    20. Rehman Safdar, 2012. "Performance Measurement And Civil Services Reforms In Pakistan: A Study Of Public Sector Organizations," Far East Journal of Psychology and Business, Far East Research Centre, vol. 6(5), pages 56-68, March.
    21. Guerrero, Erick G. & Kim, Ahraemi, 2013. "Organizational structure, leadership and readiness for change and the implementation of organizational cultural competence in addiction health services," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 74-81.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kate Meagher, 2025. "Decolonizing Development Studies: Rejecting or Repurposing the Master’s Tools?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 37(2), pages 407-420, April.
    2. Ying Shu & Xiaobin Zhuang & Rui Ying & Guanghua Xu, 2024. "Formal Institutional Pressure and the Integration of Corporate Environmental and Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from Listed Companies in Heavily Polluting Industries in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-20, March.
    3. Georgieva,Dorina Peteva & Eknath,Varun & Woolcock,Michael, 2023. "Examining Business Reform Committees : Findings from a New Global Dataset," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10467, The World Bank.
    4. Fu, Shuke & Ge, Yingchen & Hao, Yu & Peng, Jiachao & Tian, Jiali, 2024. "Energy supply chain efficiency in the digital era: Evidence from China's listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Shruti Rajagopalan & Alex Tabarrok, 2021. "Simple rules for the developing world," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 341-362, December.
    6. Tang, Lianzhou & Xu, Wenli, 2025. "Patronage and pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    7. Filstad, Cathrine & Olsen, Trude Høgvold & Karp, Tom, 2021. "Constructing managerial manoeuvring space in contradictory contexts," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 467-475.
    8. Evans Kyeremeh & Emmanuel Erastus Yamoah & Alfred Yamoah, 2025. "Enhancing pharmaceutical supply chain performance: the impact of technology integration, interorganizational trust, and collaboration in the digital age," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    9. repec:ehl:wpaper:126083 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Hakiman, Kamran & Sheely, Ryan, 2023. "Unlocking the Potential of Participatory Planning: How Flexible and Adaptive Governance Interventions Can Work in Practice," OSF Preprints kucjs, Center for Open Science.
    11. Matt Andrews, 2022. "This is How to Think About and Achieve Public Policy Success," CID Working Papers 413, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    12. Marcia Sierdovski & Luiz Alberto Pilatti & Priscila Rubbo, 2022. "Organizational Competencies in the Development of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Criteria in the Industrial Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-20, October.
    13. Gawlik, Remigiusz, 2013. "Material and Non-material Determinants of European Youth's Life Quality," MPRA Paper 48065, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Xueyan Xie & Xiaohui Xu, 2024. "The impact of population aging on SME digital transformation: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(5), pages 1-26, May.
    15. Alvaro Gonzalez & Luc Christiaensen & David Robalino, 2019. "Migration and Jobs," World Bank Publications - Reports 31807, The World Bank Group.
    16. Guo, Jingyuan & Deng, Kent, 2024. "Laying off old guards to rebuild state capacity: Deng Xiaoping’s bloodless coup d’etat in post-Mao China, 1980-2000," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126083, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Evangelia Balla & Ana Mafalda Madureira & Jaap Zevenbergen, 2025. "Land Reforms Revisited: An Emerging Perspective on the Hellenic Land Administration Reform as a Wicked Policy Problem," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, January.
    18. Xiaoxu Zhang & Xinyu Du, 2023. "Industry and Regional Peer Effects in Corporate Digital Transformation: The Moderating Effects of TMT Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-22, March.
    19. Eduardo Levy Yeyati, 2019. "What Works for Active Labor Market Policies?," CID Working Papers 358, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    20. Mayowa T. Babalola & Jeroen Stouten & Martin Euwema, 2016. "Frequent Change and Turnover Intention: The Moderating Role of Ethical Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(2), pages 311-322, March.
    21. Matt Andrews & Tim McNaught & Salimah Samji, 2018. "Opening Adaptation Windows onto Public Financial Management Reform Gaps in Mozambique," CID Working Papers 341, Center for International Development at Harvard University.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:4:p:126-:d:1623786. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.