Most microeconomic models of Labor unions take the union's membership size as exogenous, and limit union members' time horizons to a single contract period. Particularly for unions allocating employment by means of a seniority system, and for unions facing stochastic demand for labor conditions, these limitations in current union models lead to unsatisfactory predictions of union behavior. In this thesis, an n-period majority voting model of a monopoly union facing a fixed demand for labor schedule and allocating employment by seniority is developed to show the interdependence between the union's present wage choice, the size of the union's future voter pool and its future wage choices. Union members are assumed to predict the union's future voting behavior, and to account for the consequences of the retirement of senior union members. The optimal contract wage is shown analytically to be not lower than that wage which causes the layoff of twice the number of retiring workers per contract period in each contract period, and not to exceed the wage level at which half of the union's present voter pool would lose its union employment. Computer simulation solutions for various demand conditions suggest that after a potential sharp first-period increase in the contract wage, the union's contract wage path follows its analytically derived lower limit - with each contract, union employment declines by twice the number of retirees per contract period. The time path of union employment is shown to be largely independent of anticipated changes in demand for labor. A similar two-period model is developed for stochastic demand for labor conditions. For some cases, the union's wage choice can be shown to be lower when the consequences of this period's wage choice on next period's voter pool are taken into account. Majority voting instability problems cannot be ruled out for this type of model, and are interpreted as a potential cause for a union-internal political process. These seniority-based models are then compared with models where union employment is allocated by a random draw among union members. With nonstochastic demand for labor, this allows for the analysis of discrete changes in union rules, and yields the principal prediction that the union will eventually replace an employment by random draw rule with employment according to seniority. The economic approach to the analysis of union behavior is assessed critically, and put in some perspective by an informal discussion of other union-internal determinants of union behavior. In conclusion, it is suggested that the formal prediction of an ongoing gradual decline in union employment may be usefully amended by considering potential benefits from union size maintenance and union membership rejuvenation. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

The present study compared the career development concerns and other vocationally relevant variables of employees of organizations who have and have not engaged in downsizing within a one year timeframe. The sample consisted of 162 participants, 72 layoff survivors (those who remained in an organization after its downsizing) and 92 non-survivors (employees in organizations who have not downsized within 12 months). Significant results were found that differentiated the career related experiences of participants in the survivors group, survivors from non-survivors, and participants in general regardless of survivorship status. In general, results indicated that non-survivors reported greater job satisfaction and job security than layoff survivors, that being married with children may increase job satisfaction, and social support may buffer the grief reactions that survivors have to the loss of their co-worker friends. Furthermore, Super's age-associated stages within the Life-Span, Life-Space Theory were moderately upheld in the sample, especially for the Exploration stage. However, younger workers demonstrated more Maintenance concerns that would be predicted by the theory. A discussion of the relevant literature is included as well as possible explanations of the results, small sample size, and implications for future research.

Organizational downsizing is a prevalent, cost-reduction corporate strategy that executives often use to deal with dynamic competitive environments. Several studies have examined the financial implications of downsizing by evaluating the relationship between downsizing strategies and organizational performance and/or profitability. Other researchers have focused upon the responses and behaviors of layoff victims, survivors, and managers as a result of downsizing. Relatively few studies however, have investigated the impacts of layoff characteristics on the cognitions of the managers who plan and implement organizational downsizing. It has been argued that the process of layoff implementation potentially generates dissonance for the layoff agents as a result of the requirement to perform actions that are inconsistent with their cognitions and beliefs concerning workplace norms and behaviors (Margolis & Molinsky, 2008; Parker & McKinley, 2008; Sronce & McKinley, 2006). This study builds upon Festinger's (1957) cognitive dissonance theory that individuals experiencing cognitive dissonance have motivation to adopt dissonance reduction strategies, such as changing their behaviors or their cognitions, in order to balance the conflict between their beliefs in managerial role and actions of implementing layoffs. Four hypotheses are proposed to compare responses among participants facing different layoff characteristics. More specifically, drawing upon the free-choice paradigm (Brehm, 1956) of cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957), I anticipate that the subjects who make a more difficult layoff decision under certain layoff circumstances will experience more cognitive dissonance and will be motivated to adopt more positive perceptions of downsizing as a dissonance-reduction method than those who make an easier layoff decision. To evaluate the above relationships, a two-by-two factorial between-subjects experiment with various layoff conditions was carried out to investigate the impacts of layoff attributes on layoff agency-induced cognitive dissonance and layoff agents' perceptions of downsizing. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) methods were performed with gender and family layoff victimhood as control variables. The analyses found supports for hypothesis 1 and 3. Namely, individuals who make more difficult layoff decisions tend to experience more cognitive dissonance. The results of this study draw attention to how different layoff attributes affect layoff agents' responses especially in terms of their cognitions.

<p> An organization can adopt one of two implementation techniques to execute layoffs. Through involuntary layoffs, management can unilaterally select which employees to layoff. Alternatively, through voluntary layoffs, employees can self-select through volunteering for a layoff. A model from the turnover realm was adapted and applied to assess antecedents of the layoff decision for both implementation techniques. Antecedents included work related variables (job performance, salary, job satisfaction, stress, organizational commitment, severance packages) and non-work related variables (age, education, tenure, gender, family size).</p> <p> A policy-capturing approach compared voluntary versus involuntary layoffs. Management and employee dyads assessed employee profiles and judged the layoff decision for each profile. Given the exploratory nature of this research, subject matter experts (SMEs) assessed 388 profiles to validate the model. Semi-structured interviews with SMEs provided improvements adopted for the field study. The field study involved managers and employees from three companies evaluating 976 employee profiles to determine the likelihood for voluntary or involuntary layoffs. Logit regression analysis provided the significance, strength and direction of influence for each antecedent on the layoff decision.</p> <p> The results provide evidence that job performance, job satisfaction and organizational commitment have a negatively correlated relationship with both layoff implementation techniques. Slightly more than half (56.35%) of employees had the same stay or leave decision during voluntary versus involuntary layoffs. The residual (43.65%) represent mismatches that are a result of different influence and interpretation of the remaining layoff antecedents. This thesis provides evidence that voluntary and involuntary layoff implementation techniques result in a different mix of employees leaving the organization. From a policy perspective, recommendations on how to minimize mismatch are provided. From a theory perspective, a closer bridge between layoff and turnover research is proposed. This thesis also suggests that layoffs should be assessed based on the voluntary-involuntary divide in future research.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

No description available.

Ph. D.

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No description available.

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om die stressors by oorblywende personeel na 'n a.fleggingsproses in die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag(SALM), te meet en te beskryf Vanuit die literatuuroorsig word die stressors in aflegging; die bedryfsimpak van stressors na 'n afleggingsproses op organisasiegedrag en die konsepte stres, werkstres en organisasie­ stres bespreek. Die empiriese navorsing word vanuit 'n funksionalistiese paradigma aangebied, waarteen die behaviorisme en sistemiese skole die onderbou vorm. Die navorsingsontwerp is 'n beskrywende studie en maak gebruik van 'n gestratifiseerde proporsionele ewekansige steekproe£ Die ervaring van werk- en lewensomstandighede­ vraelys is vir die meet van stressors in die organisasie gebruik. Die resultate vertoon organisasiefunksionering, loopbaanaangeleenthede en vergoedings­ aspekte as die vemaamste stressors by oorblywende personeel van die SALM. Toekomstige navorsing kan temas soos die sielkundige kontrak, werksonsekerheid en organisasieverbondenheid insluit. Relevante sleutelwoorde is stressors in aflegging, oorlewendes sindroom, organisasie­ klimaat, organisasie·agteruitgang en chroniese stres. / The aim of the survey is to identify and measure the stressors of survivors after a layoff process in the South African Air Force (SAAF). The literature highlights stressors in layoffs; the industrial impact of stressors after a layoff process on organisational behavior and the concepts stress, workstress and organisational stress. The empirical research is presented from a functionalistic paradigm with behaviorism and systems theory as foundation. The research design is a descriptive study and make use of a stratified proportional sample. The experience of work- and life circumstances questionnaire was used in the measurement of stressors. The results show organisational functioning, career aspects and remuneration as the main stressors of survivors. Themes that can be incorporated in future research are the psychological contract, job insecurity and organisational commitment. Relevant keywords in the research are stressors in layoffs, survivor syndrome, organisational climate, organisational decline and chronic stress. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCom (Bedryfsielkunde)

O objetivo dessa dissertação é compreender como se dá a relação do trabalhador com atual contexto de acumulação capitalista em situações extremas como a de demissão iminente. Trata-se de um estudo de caso que tem como objeto uma multinacional do setor automotivo que encerrou suas atividades no Rio Grande do Sul em 2016. Objetivou-se discutir sobre como as relações de trabalho e a organização do trabalho foram historicamente construídas e aperfeiçoadas, de forma a tornar a exploração cada vez menos visível para os trabalhadores. Isso possibilita a exploração e consequentemente perpetua e maximiza a acumulação do capital. A análise das entrevistas, triangulada com notícias vinculadas na mídia, dados fornecidos pela empresa e boletins do sindicato, amparados na teoria sugerem que nesta era de financeirização e desterritorialização, alguns mecanismos facilitam a legitimação da exploração. São eles: o discurso do trabalho, a cooptação da subjetividade dos trabalhadores e a falácia da empregabilidade. À medida que a precarização do trabalho se propaga de formas cada vez mais complexas, potencializam-se também as contradições do capital e o trabalhador é colocado cada vez mais sob tensão. Percebe-se que a organização se apropria da subjetividade dos trabalhadores por meio de diferentes mecanismos de gestão e controle. Isso fragiliza os laços sociais, o que tem consequências nas formas de organização coletiva e mecanismos de resistência dos trabalhadores. Posteriormente, apresenta-se a questão da empregabilidade como uma falácia, em que cada vez mais o trabalhador vê-se responsável pelo seu próprio destino, bem como também pelo destino da empresa. Consequente a isso, percebe-se um sentimento de auto-culpabilização e responsabilização excessiva. Finaliza-se analisando os processos de resistência ao fechamento da fábrica. Verifica-se que o trabalhador já não tem mais amparo do seu sindicato, que se encontra enfraquecido politicamente. Outras formas de resistência coletiva articulada também não foram percebidas. Porém, algumas formas individualizadas de resistência foram encontradas, tais como o absenteísmo, boicote ao trabalho e até pequenas sabotagens. Conclui-se que as atuais formas de acumulação de capital, que se valem da desterritorialização, da financeirização e de mecanismos de legitimação da exploração, tornam a situação do trabalhador cada vez mais frágil. O caso da NX ilustra como a abstração do capital e as formas de controle cada vez mais sutis intensificam a precarização do trabalho e diminuem as possibilidades de resistência frente ao capital. As portas fecham porque no processo de reprodução capitalista a lógica das organizações é contribuir para o acúmulo de capital. A medida que essa lógica não atender mais à ética do capital - o lucro, a estratégia passa a ser o fechamento e a transferência para locais com menores custos. / The purpose of this dissertation is to understand how the relation of the worker with the current context of capitalist accumulation takes place in extreme situations like the one of imminent mass dismissal. It is a case study that has, as its object, an automotive multinational factory. Such factory closed its doors in Rio Grande do Sul in April 2016. It starts from this object to discuss how labor relations and the organization of work have historically been built and improved in order to make exploitation less visible to workers. Such invisibility enables exploitation and consequently perpetuates and maximizes the accumulation of capital. The analysis of the interviews triangulated with news in the media, data provided by the company and union bulletins, suggest that in this era of financialization and de-territorialization, some mechanisms enable the legitimation of exploitation. These are: the importance of work for the workers, the co-optation of workers’ subjectivity, and the fallacy of employability. As the precarization of work disseminate more and more, the contradictions of the capital are also potentiated and the worker is increasingly placed under tension. It is perceived that the organization appropriates itself from the subjectivity of workers through different management and control mechanisms. This weakens the social ties, which has consequences in the collective forms of organization and in the mechanisms of resistance of the workers. Subsequently, the issue of employability is presented as a fallacy, in which the worker is increasingly responsible for his own destiny, as well as for the fate of the company. As a result, there is a feeling of self-blame and excessive accountability over the worker. It ends by analyzing the processes of resistance before the closure of the factory. It was verified that the worker is no longer supported by his union, which is politically weakened. Other forms of organized resistance were not noticed. However, some individualized forms of resistance have been found, such as absenteeism, boycotting work and even minor sabotages. We conclude that the current forms of accumulation of capital, which use deterritorialization, financialization and mechanisms to legitimize exploitation, make the situation of the worker increasingly fragile. The doors close because in the process of capitalist reproduction the logic of organizations is to contribute to the accumulation of capital. As this logic no longer meets the ethics of capital - the profit, the strategy becomes closing or transfer to places with lower costs.