Organizational Justice,Change Anxiety,and Acceptance of Downsizing: Preliminary Tests of an AET-Based Model

This study tested an AET-based model that integrates cognitions (justice perceptions) and emotions (change anxiety) to explain the effects of change program characteristics on employees' acceptance of downsizing and other work attitudes. Seventy-one employees from an organization that was undergoing downsizing participated in the study. Path analyses and a Q index of .992 offered preliminary support for the proposed model by showing that procedural justice and change anxiety explained the effects of change management procedures on acceptance of downsizing, while interactional justice and change anxiety explained the effects of the quality of change communications on trust in the change managers. Although distributive justice did not have the predicted direct effect on employee morale, it helped explain the effects of procedures on acceptance of change and morale by helping reduce anxiety about the change. Together, these findings support the utility of an AET-based framework in helping understand employee responses to downsizing.     

Work‐Group Membership (In)Stability and Survivors' Reactions to Organizational Downsizing1

This longitudinal panel study investigated the interactive effect of work‐group membership stability and time on survivors' reactions to organizational downsizing. The participants were 159 nonmanagement employees of a federal government department. Survivors in moderate‐change work groups did not react more negatively to the downsizing. In fact, they reported a significant increase in job satisfaction, job security, job performance, and employee morale. Survivors who changed to different work groups expressed the least positive attitudes in the initial phase of the downsizing, but the most positive attitudes at the completion of the downsizing. Work‐group membership (in)stability was more likely to affect survivors' reactions to various aspects of their job over time than factors related to the work group itself.     

When Structure and Meaning Break DownTaking Responsibility in Downsizing

Based on knowledge about individual stress, identity, and psychological dynamics in crisis situations, social responsibility in downsizing is discussed. The concepts of ethics and perceived fairness are discussed, based on four case studies. The richness of the empirical situations points to a need for a holistic view on downsizing and social responsibility, covering individual as well as organizational aspects. Taking interactional justice into account together with a more critical view of the principles used is suggested. Finally, the idea of time and timing is elaborated in relation to justice.     

Procedural Fairness, Managers' Self-Esteem, and Managerial Behaviors Following a Layoff

The present research examined the predictors and consequences associated with managers' reactions to job layoffs. Whereas previous research suggests that procedural unfairness lowers self-esteem, we hypothesized that, in a downsizing context, the relationship between procedural unfairness and lower self-esteem would be more pronounced among managers than nonmanagers. The results of Study 1 supported the hypothesis and showed that the findings were attributable to managers' greater organizational commitment. Study 2 showed that managers who perceived procedures to be less fair were less likely to report practicing the behaviors needed from effective managers in times of change. Moreover, the relationship between procedural unfairness and managers' behaviors was mediated by their self-esteem. Subordinates of managers who engaged in less effective managerial behaviors, in turn, had more negative perceptions of their immediate work environments. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

工作不安全感、创造力自我效能对员工创造力的影响

采用问卷调查法, 以286对上级-下属配对数据为样本, 探讨了工作不安全感、创造力自我效能对员工创造力的影响及其内在作用机制。结果表明, 工作不安全感对员工创造力有倒U形的影响, 中等工作不安全感水平下员工的创造力最高; 创造力自我效能对员工创造力有显著的积极影响; 工作不安全感与创造力自我效能的交互效应显著, 创造力自我效能越高, 工作不安全感对员工创造力的影响越小; 工作不安全感、创造力自我效能及其交互效应通过内在动机的完全中介效应影响员工创造力。     

A Cognitive-Behavioral Educational Workshop to Combat Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Various measures have been implemented for coping with the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. Although much of the effort has been provided for special legislation, proper grievance procedures, or actions for organizational change, few attempts have been made to prevent sexual harassment through the application of appropriate training procedures based on effective psycho-educational methods. The author describes a workshop based on cognitive-behavioral techniques and is designed to provide women workers with understanding about sexual harassment at work and equip them with various response alternatives to sexual harassment attempts. Preliminary findings support the positive impact of the workshop.     

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Organizational Interventions: The Case of Downsizing

This article advocates a new approach to assessing the desirability of downsizing. The model treats downsizing programs the same as any other projected investment by a firm. The steps involved in reaching a decision include: (a) Estimation of cash outflows at the initial stage of the process regarded in this paper as the investment in the downsizing project; (b) Assessment of the net inflow from downsizing; (c) Estimation, on the basis of (a) and (b), the real, post-tax rate of return on the downsizing plan and comparison with the real, post-tax cost of capital to the firm; (d) Ranking and comparing the downsizing project to all other potential investments. The final decision of whether to accept or reject a downsizing plan will then depend on the relative desirability of the project (when all other non-quantitative considerations are also evaluated) to other investment alternatives, taking into consideration the limited resources of the firm for capital spending.     

Explaining individuals' justification of layoffs

This research addresses why organizational downsizing, given its adverse impact on both organizations and individuals, continues to be a popular management practice. Drawing on system justification theory, we argue that individuals justify downsizing to preserve the legitimacy of the prevailing social‐political system. Across two studies, we surveyed a total of 527 employees and examined whether the perceived likelihood of downsizing, past experiences of layoffs, and the anticipation of future layoffs enhance individuals' justification of downsizing. We also took into account cognitive and motivational biases for justifying the status quo. Our results indicate that individuals' motivation to defend and justify downsizing may strengthen its stability within society, even though implications are largely negative for those involved.     

Revisiting the survivor syndrome: The role of leadership in implementing downsizing

This article examines the key strategic and operational aspects of managing downsizing in Barclaycard, a credit card company, and SKF (UK), a bearings manufacturing company. The article begins by briefly reviewing the literature on downsizing; it then presents the data collection methods used in this study. The main areas explored were the strategic reasons for downsizing, the implementation strategies used, and the reactions of middle managers and nonmanagerial staff. In both organizations, downsizing was accompanied by significant redesign and transformation. The underlying theme in Barclaycard was that downsizing was a proactive measure in order to protect future jobs; despite this, the survivors' reactions were negative. SKF (UK) had experienced many rounds of downsizing over the years, yet the reactions of survivors were positive. This article provides possible explanations for these contrasting findings and concludes by suggesting actions that organizations need to take in order to avoid the survivor syndrome.     

Human Costs of Organizational Downsizing: Comparing Health Trends Between Leavers and Stayers

We studied health-related selection and consequences of an organizational downsizing among 886 municipal employees. Measurements of health indicators were conducted before any rumor of the downsizing and immediately after the downsizing 3 years later. Results of predownsizing health showed that those who did not find employment after the staff reductions were older employees with high preexisting morbidity. Those getting a new job elsewhere were younger and had better health already before the downsizing than the stayers. After the downsizing, deterioration of health was most likely in the stayers working in groups of major staff reductions and among the nonemployed leavers. In the reemployed leavers, the risk of increased health problems was lower than in others including employees working in no or minor downsizing groups.     

Consulting with teachers: a systematic approach

Many counselors need and want to reach more students through effective counsultation with teachers. While the desirability of consulting has been established in the literature, the counselor may be concerned about how to begin a consulting role and how to develop a consulting relationship with teachers. Beginning a consulting role may be simple and informal. The use of systematic procedures should aid the counselor in developing the consulting relationship. Systematic consulting procedures, along with the all-important attitude of the consultant, are illustrated through two cases.     

Personality and Perceived Justice as Predictors of Survivors’ Reactions Following Downsizing1

Downsizing, when deemed unfair, can result in negative outcomes in terras of survivors’ job attitudes and behaviors. Little research to date has examined whether a survivor's personality moderates these reactions. The present study examines the roles of personality and organizational justice in survivors’ reactions to downsizing. Results show that angry hostility moderates the relationships between survivors’ perceived interactional justice and (a) their organizational commitment, and (b) their intention to quit following downsizing. Specifically, the relationship between interactional justice and both criterion variables was significant only when angry hostility was low. Self‐discipline was found to moderate the relationship between survivors’ interactional justice and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) such that there was a significant positive correlation between interactional justice and OCB only for those employees who were low on self‐discipline. These findings are discussed in light of how supervisors could best manage downsizing.     

When explanations for layoffs are not enough: Employer's integrity as a moderator of the relationship between informational justice and retaliation

Victims of downsizing often perceive their layoff as being unfair, which can lead to various forms of retaliation. Informational justice, defined as providing employees with adequate explanations in a timely manner, has been prescribed as a way to mitigate the retaliation tendencies associated with unfairness perceptions. Few studies, however, have examined contexts in which informational justice might be more vs. less effective in this regard. In the present research, we explored whether employees' perception of the employer's integrity moderates the relationship between informational justice and retaliation among layoff victims. Results from a field and laboratory study suggest that informational justice helps manage retaliation only when layoff victims perceived that their employer had high (vs. low) integrity prior to the layoff. In Study 2, we found that perceived sincerity mediated the impact of informational justice by integrity interaction on retaliation.     

Behavioral Treatment of Self-Choking in a Developmentally Normal Child

ABSTRACT

In the past, self-choking behavior has been associated with individuals who were either developmentally disabled or experienced psychosis symptoms, and has usually been treated with aversive procedures. A time-series design using several different non-aversive behavioral procedures was used to analyze these treatment effects on an 11-year-old girl whose habit of self-choking interfered with normal functioning. Habit reversal procedures, which implement an incompatible response in place of the target behavior, did not, as first hypothesized, have a positive effect on self-choking behavior. However, attention from a male therapist as a positive reinforcer initially decreased the frequency of self-chokes and percent of time spent self-choking. Attention contingent on performance was not as effective on the child's behavior as attention administered noncontingently. Overall, the behavioral treatment approach applied here does not appear to reduce the target behavior in a clinically significant manner. Implications for future treatment approaches for this behavior are discussed.     

Downsizing,changes in work,and self-rated health of employees: A 7-year 3-wave panel study

Abstract

The question of whether changes in work and interpersonal relationships mediate the adverse effects of downsizing on health of employees was explored. Longitudinal data from a 7-year study of 550 municipal workers in a variety of jobs was collected before, immediately after, and 4 years after downsizing. The degree of downsizing for each job category was assessed using organizational records of contracted days worked. Downsizing predicted adverse changes in work characteristics and a long-lasting decline in self-rated health. Decreased job control, high job insecurity and increased physical demands, in combination, appeared to be the linking mechanism between downsizing and general health. Interestingly, social conflict did not play a role in the mediation process.     

Downsizing in britain and its effects on survivors and their organizations

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the psychological effects of downsizing and redundancy on those remaining within organizations after large-scale redundancy programs. While there have been a number of studies of this type in the recent past, our task is to explore two separate studies which have investigated this phenomena. The first study explores the impact of redundancy in a recently privatized organization in the UK. This, we argue, is a particularly fertile area of study given the radical changes that have affected organizations in the UK that have been subjected to privatization. The results stem from an exploratory and qualitative case study which takes an individual perspective. The second study discussed in this paper explores the results of a survey conducted in the UK that examines the implications of change in both the public and private sector organizations. This survey takes a quantitative look at the implications of redundancy from an organizational perspective. By investigating these two studies, our research explores the impact of redundancy on two levels—the individual level and the organizational level. First, we examine the emotional, attitudinal and behavioral effects of redundancy on survivors and the resultant implications for management: in particular the changing role of line managers where delayering and redundancy has taken place. Second, we explore the impact of redundancy on the organization in terms of organizational morale, motivation, organizational loyalty and job security where redundancy has and has not been used as a method of downsizing.     

The Importance of Career Insecurity for Turnover Intentions in the Dutch Military

The effects of two dimensions of job insecurity (job loss insecurity and career insecurity) on turnover intentions were tested in a sample from the Dutch armed forces (N = 3,580) after a major downsizing operation was announced. Results suggested that especially perceptions of career insecurity increased turnover intentions. Next to this direct effect, career insecurity was also associated with lowered affective organizational commitment which in turn increased turnover intentions as well. Our results imply that, at least during downsizing operations, a multidimensional conceptualization of job insecurity helps to predict important organizational outcomes in the military. Both perceptions of the risk of losing one’s job and perceptions of possible future career opportunities are important for employee retention.     

Word-attack skills in individuals with mental retardation

This article assesses the state of the literature on word-attack skills and phonological awareness (PA) in individuals with mental retardation, in light of progress towards the development of effective teaching procedures. The literature contains promising findings. Studies have shown PA to be correlated with word-attack skills in individuals with mental retardation, as has been shown conclusively in typically developing children. This suggests that instruction in PA would facilitate the acquisition of word-attack skills in individuals with mental retardation, as it does with typically developing children. As of yet, however, very few experimental studies designed to demonstrate effective teaching procedures for PA and word-attack skills have been published. This research field might evolve most effectively and efficiently by following a two-step research program. First, test new teaching procedures in a series of small-N studies, each study incorporating modifications of teaching procedures based on the results of the previous study. Once procedures prove effective at this level, the resources necessary to pursue large-scale studies can be used to their best advantage.     

The effects of trust in authority and procedural fairness on cooperation

The present research examined the effect of procedural fairness and trust in an authority on people's willingness to cooperate with the authority across a wide range of social situations. Prior research has shown that the presence of information about whether an authority can be trusted moderates the effect of procedural fairness. If no trust information is available, procedural fairness influences people's reactions. This is not the case when information about the trustworthiness of the authority is present. In the present article, it is argued that information about whether the authority can or cannot be trusted may also moderate the effect of procedural fairness in predicting levels of cooperation. Assuming that the use of fair procedures by authorities that cannot be trusted is less influential than is the enactment of procedures by trustworthy authorities, it is predicted that trust in authority moderates the influence of procedural fairness on cooperation in such a way that procedural fairness has a positive effect on cooperation primarily when trust in authority is high. Results from 4 studies (2 experimental studies and 2 field studies) provide supportive evidence for this interaction.     

Hospital restructuring and nursing staff well-being: The role of perceived hospital and union support

Abstract

This research examined the effects of perceived hospital and union support on work satisfaction and psychological well-being of nursing staff during a period of hospital restructuring and downsizing. Data were collected from 1363 hospital-based nurses using anonymous questionnaires. Respondents reported receiving moderate levels of both hospital and union support during this period. However nursing staff reporting higher levels of perceived hospital support indicated greater job satisfaction, more job security, lower levels of psychological burnout and fewer psychosomatic symptoms, controlling for personal and work situation factors and extent of restructuring and downsizing initiatives. Implications for organizational management during downsizing and reorganization are drawn.