Business transformation fatigue leaves workers on the brink of burnout

Business transformation efforts are fueling fatigue, burnout, and uncertainty for employees, according to a recent global study. It found a growing disconnect between the drive for transformation and the wellbeing of workers charged with implementing change.

Digital business services firm Emergn surveyed 751 organizations around the world and found that, although most consider transformation essential for staying competitive, many employees are experiencing fatigue and uncertainty as their companies adapt to new and emerging technologies.

Join the PEX Network community

Don't miss any news, updates or insider tips from PEX Network by getting them delivered to your inbox. Sign up to our newsletter and join our community of experts. 

Learn More

Half of workers are facing transformation fatigue

The Global Intelligent Delusion report found that while 82 percent of respondents view transformation as necessary, half of those surveyed admit to experiencing transformation fatigue, with almost as many (45 percent) reporting burnout from ongoing change. Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is playing a big role here, with 55 percent of those polled linking transformation fatigue to the rise of AI initiatives.

Furthermore, awareness isn’t keeping up with the pace of change: 31 percent of respondents feel uninformed about the objectives and ambitions of recent initiatives.

“Transformation fatigue isn’t burnout; it’s when teams stop adapting,” commented Alex Adamopoulos, chairman and CEO, Emergn. “The best product-led organizations don’t let that happen. They build environments where people can learn fast, adjust, and keep moving. That’s how you win at continuous change.”

Register for All Access: Change Management 2026!

Change is a retention risk

Business change is a key retention risk, according to the report. More than a third (36 percent) of respondents would consider leaving their job due to organizational changes.

Leadership accountability and execution quality matter, the report also found. Almost half of those polled (41 percent) agree leadership contributed to project failures, while 42 percent report insufficient training and support during transformation and 37 percent see external consultancies as contributors to challenges.

This shows that transformation fatigue is less about the fact of change and more about how change is led – i.e. clarity of goals, pacing, communication, and support.

“Many companies view AI as a catalyst for revenue and growth, yet the real challenge lies not in adopting advanced technologies, but in bridging the gaps of talent, skills, and organizational capability,” said Adamopoulos. “In reality, without an AI-first mindset that considers organizational role readiness, training, and capability building, it’s a sophisticated form of self-deception.”

Change management tops list of business transformation methodologies

Change management is the leading methodology organizations use to support business transformation. That’s a key finding from the PEX Report 2025/26, based on the results of a survey of more than 200 professionals.

More than half (58 percent) of respondents apply change management in their business transformation strategies, ahead of advisors and consultants (53percent) and cultural transformation (42 percent).

Meanwhile, 34 percent of businesses are planning to advance change management approaches in the next 12 months. However, change management is also one of the biggest business transformation challenges respondents expect to face in the coming year, cited by 39 percent of those polled. This is behind cost/budget limitations (58 percent).

All Access: OPEX Operational Excellence 2025

Operational excellence is a set of practices that helps organizations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. In 2025, operational excellence will be more important than ever as organizations look to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. 

 All Access: OPEX Operational Excellence 2025 from PEX Network will help professionals get an understanding of the latest developments in operational excellence, including how to identify and improve key processes, how to implement operational excellence initiatives, and how to measure the success of operational excellence initiatives.

Register Now