Correlates of relocation intention and emotional responses to an Israeli plant relocation

Prior to a relocation of a governmental organization in Israel, 155 workers responded to a questionnaire tapping three criteria: the intention to relocate, positive feelings, and stress reactions. The questionnaire also addressed potential correlates: biographical data, family‐related variables, perceived attitudes of co‐workers, job satisfaction and centrality, and anticipations regarding work and nonwork aspects. The intention to relocate was associated mainly with the perceived attitude of the spouse and the children. Stress experienced was most strongly related to the future job prospects, and the positive emotions were mostly correlated with the perceived favourability of the anticipated changes. The family‐related variables were found to be significantly correlated with all the criteria. These results suggest that organization should direct efforts on spouse and children in order to influence employees' decisions and feelings regarding relocation. This and other implications are discussed.