Technological Innovation, Organizational Change, and Employee s Resistance in Developing Countries

This research falls within the field of technological developments and employee resistance to organizational change. It addresses the following issue: why have La Poste BF (Burkina Faso) employees resisted organizational changes following recent technological developments? A conceptual framework was mobilized, starting from the literature review, articulating the theory of cognitive dissonance and the theory of organizational justice. We generated two research proposals that suggest a link between employees age, abandonment of organizational routines, and resistance to change. These research proposals were empirically verified through forty five (45) semi-structured interviews. Our research s main findings indicate that resistance is related to implementation process rather than the need for change. More specifically, employee resistance is not linked to a high average age but lacks involvement and consultation of field employees when implementing specific changes that affect them. They also indicate that changes at the organizational level have forced agents to abandon the routines to which they are attached, resulting in stress, frustration, and organized resistance.