Playing the grim reaper: How employees experience carrying out a downsizing

Abstract

This article reports a qualitative study that explores how employees who are responsible for carrying out a downsizing -'downsizing agents' -experience and react to their downsizing responsibilities. Our results demonstrate that, when the work of carrying out a downsizing becomes emotionally taxing, downsizing agents react by cognitively, emotionally, and physically distancing themselves from their roles. We explore forces that make carrying out a downsizing more taxing and the conditions under which distancing reactions become more likely.

Au-delà de l’emploi, quelle sauvegarde du travail ?

“…La manière dont ils vivent leur reclassement n'est pas sans lien avec le rôle qu'ils ont eux-mêmes joué dans la fermeture et le fait qu'ils devaient la rendre acceptable et légitime auprès des salariés (cLair, DufreSne, 2004 Si ces cadres ne sont pas déstabilisés par leur reclassement chez AERO, c'est donc avant tout parce qu'ils ont intégré le fait que leur progression de carrière passera par la mobilité. Ils l'associent d'ailleurs à des éléments positifs, comme la prise de responsabilité, l'apprentissage de nouvelles compétences, l'enrichissement personnel et l'élar-gissement des réseaux, et reprennent ainsi à leur compte (10) les justiications qui président au modèle des carrières nomades (11) .…”

Unlocking the careers of business professionals following job loss: sensemaking and career exploration of older workers

“…Burke, 1998;Cascio, 2004;Cascio & Young, 2003;Clair & Dufresne, 2004;Sparrow & Cooper, 1998). It is notable, however, that much of the careers' literature focuses on the predominantly negative outcomes of job loss: generally, in terms of career development and individual experiences (Feldman & Leana, 2000;McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg, & Kinicki, 2005).…”

Living on Both Sides of the Fence: A Phenomenological Study of Human Resource Development Professionals as Downsizing Survivors and Strategic Human Resource Development Facilitators

“…Additionally, studies have been done on managers', supervisors', and HR professionals' experiences as change recipients and as change agents charged with delivering termination notices to downsizing's victims (Clair & Dufresne, 2004;Clair, DuFresne, Jackson, & Ladge, 2006;Gandolfi, 2008b;Grunberg, Moore, & Greenberg, 2006;Molinsky & Margolis, 2006;Parker & McKinley, 2008). However, in reviewing the literature, I was unable to find studies that focused specifically on HRD professionals' experiences as downsizing survivors and as change agents charged with facilitating SHRD-organizational learning, organizational performance, and organizational change (Gilley & Gilley, 2003;Gilley & Maycunich, 2000)-before, during, and/or after downsizing.…”

“…Not only must they manage the rational aspects of downsizing and change, they must also cope with their own emotional survivor reactions as well as those of the remaining workforce. This role has been referred to as the downsizing agent (Clair & DuFresne 2004;Clair et al, 2006;Grunberg et al, 2006) or layoff agent (Sronce & McKinley, 2006) role. Downsizing agents include anyone involved with planning or implementing a downsizing event or helping the organization recover following the event (Clair & DuFresne, 2004;Gandolfi, 2008b).…”

“…Other employees may view this involvement negatively causing downsizing agents to feel stigmatized within the organization (Clair & DuFresne, 2004;Clair et al, 2006). Other survivors might go so far as to blame downsizing agents for the emotional trauma they are experiencing, viewing them as grim reapers (Clair & DuFresne, 2004;Clair et al, 2006), angels of death (Sahdev & Vinnecombe, 1998), industrial surgeons (Foote & Robinson, 1999), terminators (Clair et al, 2006), and executioners (Grunberg et al, 2006;Kets de Vries & Balazs, 1996).…”