There's more to the picture than meets the eye: A comparison of downsizing survivors with changed and unchanged job content

Abstract

Organisational downsizing has become a frequently used strategy to improve organisational effectiveness and competitive ability. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of downsizing on employee work stress, attitudes and well-being by comparing survivors who had their work situation changed as a function of the downsizing process with survivors whose situation remained unaffected. Longitudinal questionnaire data were obtained during the course of downsizing. Survivors with a changed work situation reported higher levels of work stress, less favourable work attitudes and more health complaints as compared to survivors who did not have their work situation changed. Opsomming Organisasie hersturkturering het ’n voortdurende strategie geword om organisasie effektiwiteit en kompeterende vermoëns te verbeter. Die doel van die studie was om die effek wat herstrukturering op werknemers se werkstres, gesindhede en welstand het, te ondersoek, deur oorblywende personeel wie se werksomgewing verander is deur hersturkturereing te vergelyk met oorblywende personeel wie se werksomgewings onveranderd gebly het. Longitudinale vraelysdata is ingesamel gedurende herstrukturering. Oorblywendes wie se werksomgewing verander het, het hoër vlakke van werkstres, minder gewensde gesindhede en meer gesondheidsprobleme getoon as die individue wie se situasie onveranderd gebly het.

Keywords

• Downsizing survivors
• Job content
• Change