potential rewards of embracing a radically different future (Denning, 2005). In addition, leaders as change agents must provide employees with abundant, relevant information with regard to impending changes, justify the appropriateness and rationale for change, address employees’ questions and concerns, and explore ways in which change might affect them in order to increase acceptance and participation (Green, 2004; Rousseau and Tijoriwala, 1999). Employees question, evaluate and weigh arguments for and against change to determine its strengths and weaknesses; thus, well developed rationalisation are more likely to be accepted, while weaker arguments are rejected (Knowles and Linn, 2004). Peterson and Hicks (1996) suggest that appropriate communications provide employees with feedback and reinforcements during change.

Another change management strategy that is important for determining employee adjustment during times of organisational change is employee participation (Cooper et. al, 2005). Employee participation helps to create a sense of personal control among employees, giving them the opportunity to adopt direct behavioural efforts to control significant work related events, thereby achieving desired goals (ibid). A growing body of research suggest that employee involvement has a positive impact on change implementation (Simms, 2002) . Birdi’s (2005) research indicates that involving employees and soliciting their feedback significantly influence the extent to which action is taken on creative ideas.

According to Kroth, (2007) motivation is the drive that causes us to behave in a specific way and has been described as consisting of energy, direction and sustainability. Motivating others requires skilled managers who can organise and provide a motivating environment; communicating effectively, address employees’ questions, generate creative ideas, prioritise ideas, direct personal practices, plan employees’ actions, commit emplyees to action, and provide follow up to overcome motivational problems (Carlisle and Murphy, 1996).

Furthermore, leaders secure desired results through a compensation and reward philosophy that recognise employees for the right performance (Leboeuf, 1985). According to Lussier (2006) recipients of change react positively to rewards for incremental change, celebrations of milestones, and leaders who creates a win-win situation related to change. Reward programs that help organisation achieve specific change goals such a greater creativity, innovative products, competitiveness, collaboration and team work, employee commitment and loyalty, long term plans, and continual learning and application of new skills are positively related to organisational goa