Understanding the effects of embeddedness on older and younger workers during intra-organizational job changes

Abstract

Intra-organizational job changes are frequently employed to enhance workforce flexibility, to retain firm-specific knowledge, and to respond to dynamic human resource needs. But previous research has mostly investigated general trends in voluntary mobility, promotions, or internal movement. However, the reallocation of jobs by the organization, and especially the lateral transfers, has been relatively little studied. Such reassignments are distinctive because employees remain within the same organization but leave behind familiar roles, work processes, social relationships, and professional identities. This paper conceptualizes such transitions as situations characterized by coexisting organizational continuity and role disruption, with a particular focus on how employees’ pre-move embeddedness influences their psychological adjustment process and subsequent performance after the transfer.
Based on job embeddedness research and incorporating perspectives on aging and goal adjustment theory, this thesis develops an integrative framework linking employees’ pre-move embeddedness to their subsequent adaptation outcomes. The framework distinguishes between “job-role embeddedness” (employees’ attachment to their original positions) and “organizational embeddedness” (employees’ broader sense of belonging to the organization). It posits that these two forms of embeddedness differ in transferability across different jobs, thereby producing distinct effects following lateral job changes. The study identifies perceived insider status as the key psychological mechanism connecting pre-transfer embeddedness with post-transfer in-role and extra-role performance. Additionally, age and job effort are considered factors influencing differences in the adaptation process.
This study comprises an exploratory interview-based investigation and a main quantitative study. The exploratory study examined how employees understand organizationally initiated lateral job changes, experience role discontinuity, and adapt to new positions, with findings providing the basis for refining the research framework and developing hypotheses. The primary quantitative study employed a three-wave survey design, involving 282 full-time employees in China’s machinery manufacturing industry who had experienced organization initiated lateral job transfers within the past year. Using structural equation modeling, the study tested the direct and indirect relationships between pre-move job-role embeddedness, pre-move organizational embeddedness, and perceived insider status on post-move performance, as well as the moderating roles of age and job effort.
The results indicate that employees do not enter new internal positions without prior attachments; instead, they carry forward various forms of embeddedness formed before the transfer, each exerting different effects. Pre-move job-role embeddedness was negatively associated with perceived insider status after the transfer, suggesting that strong attachment to previous roles may make the transition more disruptive. In contrast, pre-move organizational embeddedness positively predicted perceived insider status, as organizational knowledge, social networks, and member identity can be retained across different positions. Perceived insider status, in turn, enhanced both in-role and extra-role performance and served as a mediator in the influence of both types of embeddedness on post-move outcomes. Furthermore, the findings suggest that age alone does not consistently explain differences in adaptation. Rather, age-related differences become more apparent through job effort: older employees reported higher levels of job effort during the transition period, which influenced how embeddedness translated into adaptation and performance.
This study makes three theoretical contributions. First, it advances research on organizational mobility by conceptualizing lateral job assignments within organizations as a transitional process that maintains organizational continuity while disrupting role identities. Second, it expands the traditional scope of job embeddedness research beyond a focus solely on retention, demonstrating that embeddedness may play different roles in internal transition contexts: organizational embeddedness can serve as a transferable resource, whereas job-role embeddedness may act as a constraining factor. At the same time, the study identifies “perceived insider status” as a post-move mechanism through which pre-move embeddedness influences subsequent work performance. Third, this study offers a new perspective on workplace aging research, showing that when understanding age differences in internal job transitions, job effort is more critical than age alone.
In fact, the research indicates that organizations should not view lateral internal transfers as mere administrative changes. While employees undergo significant changes in roles, relationships, and identities, they may still maintain their status as organizational members. Therefore, before arranging a transfer, managers should assess the employee’s job role and organizational integration, clearly explain the reasons and impacts of the transfer, and provide support to help the employee rebuild role fit and internal sense of belonging. At the same time, organizations should pay attention to the employee’s enthusiasm and ability to adapt to the new role. Management practices that focus on employee integration and consider age factors can help improve performance after the transfer and enhance the long-term effectiveness of the internal mobility strategy.

Date of Award	15 Sept 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Jie Wang (Supervisor) & Martin Liu (Supervisor)