Ideology, crisis intensity and organizational demography as determinants of organizational change in kibbutzim: A longitudinal study

Kibbutzim were a pure missionary organization known for their egalitarian-communal lifestyle. However, like many other organizational forms, the kibbutz model has been subjected to significant pressures to become more market oriented. This challenges the existence of kibbutzim in many ways. This study examines the effect of ideological embeddeness, crisis intensity, demographic depletion, and type of manufacturing industry on change magnitude. Using a sample of 171 kibbutzim over a seven year-period, the findings indicate consistent effects of ideology, crisis intensity, demographic depletion and organizational size on change magnitude. Theoretical implications for atypical organizations are discussed.