In this globalization era, the workplace should change and develop continuously. A change that is done by an organization is recognized as a result of the response to the events in the organizational environment because of the more competitive environment. If a change happens in a country, especially in the developed country, it will also affect greatly to the other country.

Since 2016, Universitas Negeri Padang has changed to BLU (Badan Layanan Umum). This new regulation makes a change in the organization entirely, including work standard, financial procedures, organizational structural, and many more. Lecturers have obligation to implement the “Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi”, such as teaching, researching and doing community services. Lectures must make innovation and develop methods of teaching and learning. Every lecturer must make research and community services, at least once a year. Despite, lectures must make SKP (standar kinerja pegawai) and BKD (beban kerja dosen) which will be collected in each semester.

BLU regulations make teachers must also follow the changing standards in order to meet academic demands in accordance with BLU. If the changes are not made, then this will have an impact on individuals (lecturer) and organizations. For the lecturer, they do not get remuneration as part of the reward of the work performance and cannot develop their career in the organization. For organizations, this will make the organization (institution) deprive than the other institutions in quality. For those reasons, to make an organizational change becomes effective, employee’s commitment is highly needed for it. A commitment to change as a bound between employees to the organizations which help to make a change become successful.

Motivation is an important aspect which impacts the commitment to organizational change. One of the motivation constructs have an impact on this changes is psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment is a motivation construct embodied to the four cognitions, those are meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Those four cognitions simultaneously reflect the active orientation toward the work’s role. Active orientation means an orientation which is an individual want and feels capable of creating their own creation based on their role and work context.

The respondents in this research are the lecturer of Universitas Negeri Padang. The results of this study show there is a relationship between psychological empowerment and commitment to organizational change. Lecturer as the academic community in university aside has obligation to the needs of “Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi”, they also feel the importance of career development as part of self-development. This urges is motivated internally to make efforts to meet higher standards including following organizational changes.

Lecturers of Universitas Negeri Padang feel the university as the organization provides broad opportunities to develop their career as part of organizational changes. This makes them take advantage of the opportunity given and also takes part in the organizational change. This commitment to change is felt not only to support organizational change but also to improve their personal welfare. Aside from this positive correlation between psychological empowerment and commitment to organizational change, the lecturers also want that they are given the opportunity to get socialization and submit an evaluation of the organizational changes that occur so that they can plan and measure their ability to adjust to future organizational changes.

Keywords: Psychological Empowerment, Commitment to Organizational Change, Lecturer