<p><strong>Background:</strong> The reasons why this study is conducted is because of the latest recession in the global economy. The current recession has made a lot of companies more aware of its cost, and in order to fit the new harsher economic climate the companies has to be more cost efficient. In order to do so many companies choose to reduce their amount of employees. When this happens in a recession, most of the layoffs are an effect of reactive causes, such as lower incoming orders, and fewer customers. This leads to a problem for the companies that don’t know how these kinds of layoffs will affect the value of the company’s stock. This leads to a question whether there is a significant pattern between layoffs that are a result of reactive reasons and the number of employees that are being laid off, in percentage of the total number of employees of the companies in question?</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> The reason for this study is to find out if there is any correlation between how many employees that is laid off, in percentage of the company’s total employees, and if different percentages have different impact in the valuations of the company’s stock.</p><p><strong>Approach:</strong> This study is made in the form of a modified event study and narrows down to the recession during 2008-01-01 to 2009-10-01, and only involves companies that are on trade on the stock market in Stockholm Sweden. The objects that are involved in this study are from the stock markets large and mid-cap sections. The criteria for companies in this study are that they should have made layoffs for reactive reasons in the time period that we are interested in. The variations in the company’s stock are compared to Stockholm’s stock markets OMX-index. The information needed to conduct this study is gathered from press realises and from financial reports made by the companies.</p><p><strong>Result and conclusions:</strong> The study shows that there is a correlation between how large percentage of the company’s total employees that are laid off and the effect of variations in the stock. The correlation is -0,306 but it is not statistical verified. This result was not in line with our hypotheses that we had concluded from earlier research and theories that are in the study. Earlier research on the American stock market shows a stronger connection between large percentage layoffs and how this makes the stock value to decrease.</p>

Background: The reasons why this study is conducted is because of the latest recession in the global economy. The current recession has made a lot of companies more aware of its cost, and in order to fit the new harsher economic climate the companies has to be more cost efficient. In order to do so many companies choose to reduce their amount of employees. When this happens in a recession, most of the layoffs are an effect of reactive causes, such as lower incoming orders, and fewer customers. This leads to a problem for the companies that don’t know how these kinds of layoffs will affect the value of the company’s stock. This leads to a question whether there is a significant pattern between layoffs that are a result of reactive reasons and the number of employees that are being laid off, in percentage of the total number of employees of the companies in question? Purpose: The reason for this study is to find out if there is any correlation between how many employees that is laid off, in percentage of the company’s total employees, and if different percentages have different impact in the valuations of the company’s stock. Approach: This study is made in the form of a modified event study and narrows down to the recession during 2008-01-01 to 2009-10-01, and only involves companies that are on trade on the stock market in Stockholm Sweden. The objects that are involved in this study are from the stock markets large and mid-cap sections. The criteria for companies in this study are that they should have made layoffs for reactive reasons in the time period that we are interested in. The variations in the company’s stock are compared to Stockholm’s stock markets OMX-index. The information needed to conduct this study is gathered from press realises and from financial reports made by the companies. Result and conclusions: The study shows that there is a correlation between how large percentage of the company’s total employees that are laid off and the effect of variations in the stock. The correlation is -0,306 but it is not statistical verified. This result was not in line with our hypotheses that we had concluded from earlier research and theories that are in the study. Earlier research on the American stock market shows a stronger connection between large percentage layoffs and how this makes the stock value to decrease.

This study based its background on economic downturn and the following waves of organization downsizing, dating from August, 2008 to July, 2009. The research result presented the interplay between these organization care factors, by grouping eight layoff practices into two factors, with affective commitment and organization justice climate. Data were collected from 25 companies in Taiwan with labor-reduction experience during research timeframe and 332 employees in total. The finding indicated only those layoff practices, with direct impact on layoff survivors, are linked, though negatively, to affective commitment of remaining workers. Further, we found that procedural justice organization climate and interactional justice organization climate positively influence affective commitment; distributive justice organization climate does not.

Data from 255 employees who were members of 33 companies were tested with hierarchical linear modeling analyses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among employees¡¦ intrinsic motivation, job involvement, commitment -based HR practices, institutional organizational trust and layoff. Results from the individual-level analyses indicated that intrinsic motivation has a positive effect on job involvement. Institutional organizational trust, in terms of benevolence and reliability and structural assurance, has a positive effect on intrinsic motivation. While concerning factors at the organizational level, results showed that commitment-based HR practices have a positive effect on institutional organizational trust. Layoff has a negative effect on job involvement. However, the hypothesis that layoff has significant effect on intrinsic motivation and job involvement was not supported.Contributions to both the literature and organizational practices are discussed.

由於社會經濟以及國際情勢的變遷，甚至無預警的採取關廠或歇業之情況屢見不鮮，導致勞工之生存權、工作權遭受到嚴重危害；同時現行的勞動法制保護不足，遂有「大量解僱勞工保護法」之制定。 本篇論文係以「大量解僱勞工保護法」為研究之對象。其論述之焦點集中於大量解僱勞工保護法之法律爭議問題，乃針對現行大量解僱勞工保護法法本身之規範內容，係以大量解僱之定義、解僱計畫書及通知義務、協商之時程及方式、提供就業輔導與再僱用優先權利、預警通報義務、以及限制出境之處分為研究之重點。除此之外，本文更藉由他山之石可以攻錯為之論述，比較研究我國與美國、德國、以及日本有關大量解僱保護法制，以供我國參考借鏡。 最後，法律的建構與運用，總是要求能夠越精確、越具體，而盡量避免空洞、歧異與含混為目標，否則喪失穩定性，各種因理解差異的衝突自然增加。本研究發現：其一，我國大量解僱勞工保護法之內容，其定義規範、法條的嚴謹性實在過於簡陋，協商程序過於簡單，且權利義務不明，致使大量解僱勞工保護法之執行與現況產生落差，導致象徵性意味大於實質效用。其二，本研究發現大量解僱事件中之勞工確實相較於一般解僱事件之勞工，受到更多程序及實體性規範之保障。本文認為實應一體地規範於一般性之個別解僱範圍中，以玆給予更周延之勞工保護。 / Because of the transformation of social economy status and international situation, and unnoticed closed-down and shutdown of businesses come up in everyday life, labors’ rights to live and work are endangered harshly. In addition, relevant provisions in labor laws are insufficient to protect such workers. For this reason, the ‘Protective Act for Mass Redundancy of Employees’ was promulgated. This dissertation focuses mainly on the debates of the ‘Protective Act for Mass Redundancy of Employees’. Among the controversies, we especially concentrate on the definition of ‘Mass Redundancy’, layoff project report and notice obligation, processes and means of negotiation between labor and capital, provisions of employment service and preferential right of re-employment, consulting systems, and disciplinary restrictions of exit permission. Besides, we attempt to acquire some useful experiences from comparative studies in related institutions in US, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. Eventually, it deserves to be mentioned, the conflicts of misunderstanding and instability may result from the inaccuracy and incoherence of the regulations, and the emptiness and divergence of its goals. Accordingly, we found that, for one thing, its regulations, definitions and precision are far too crude. Furthermore, the consulting procedures are simple and obligations are equivocal, and may lead to a gap between imagination and reality. In this way, the Act will be nothing but a slogan. For another thing, indeed, we found the labors that suffer from mass redundancy receive much more attention than those who are laid off in normal cases. We should point out, however, all should the government do is to focus on not only those who suffer from mass redundancy, but also reach workers in normal cases. Only in this way, labors would be well protected and regulations could be completed.

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.

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.

Magister Artium - MA / Downsizing is one of the most common organisational reactions to organisational change. The effects of global competition, mergers, and the privatisation of public sector companies, among others, are forcing organisations in South Africa to resort to workforce reduction. The purpose of the present study was to address the lack of research on the impact of downsizing on survivors. Specifically, the study examined the interactive effects of job insecurity, locus of control and sense of coherence on the organisational commitment of survivors. / South Africa

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / Until recently South Africa experienced an economic decline, however, despite the current positive trends, many large corporations are compelled to reduce personnel costs. Retrenchments have therefore become an increasingly common occurrence within South Africa. This has had an impact on the level of organisational commitment, absenteeism and turnover. Studies support the link between the levels of organisational commitment of employees, absenteeism and subsequently labour turnover. There is a relative lack of research in South African organisations into the influence of retrenchments on employees within call centre environments that have undergone retrenchments. The aims of this study was therefore to identify the levels of organisational commitment amongst call centre employees who survived a retrenchment that occurred in 2001. / South Africa