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.

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.

Nas organizações em todo o mundo, a busca por eficiência, melhoria de processos e consequentemente aumento de retorno financeiro para acionistas e empresários leva os administradores a buscarem alternativas que propiciem resultados positivos ao Negócio e, uma das mais frequentes e importantes, é a redução de pessoal. Independente da razão do projeto de redução de pessoal (reestruturação, downsizing, reengenharia, entre outros) percebeu-se, por meio do referencial bibliográfico e da experiência da autora desta dissertação, executiva da área de Recursos Humanos, que há importantes consequências geradas por estas mudanças de redução nos funcionários que permanecem nas organizações, após as demissões. Neste estudo, não se pretende falar dos funcionários desligados, já que o enfoque foi feito integralmente nos empregados remanescentes nas organizações, após o processo de enxugamento. Para estes \"sobreviventes\" os impactos negativos vão desde sintomas de estresse, instabilidade profissional, alteração do clima organizacional, quebra de contratos psicológicos, busca por novas oportunidades de carreira em outras empresas, entre outros. Contudo, também podem ser observados impactos positivos como crescimento profissional e novas oportunidades dentro da organização. Em função do exposto foi proposta a seguinte questão de pesquisa: Como propor um processo de redução de pessoal, que seja favorável para os funcionários que permanecem nas organizações? Este estudo versa dar enfoque nos funcionários que permanecem nas organizações, após o processo de redução de pessoal e, por meio de pesquisas qualitativas, criar diretrizes que possam amenizar os impactos deste processo de enxugamento junto aos funcionários que permanecem nas companhias, uma vez que eles serão responsáveis pelo bom andamento dos objetivos corporativos, daqui em diante. Para que estas diretrizes fossem estabelecidas, primeiramente, foi feita uma pesquisa por exaustão com profissionais experientes que já haviam passado pelo processo de enxugamento. Com base nas suas observações e no referencial bibliográfico, foi feito um questionário aplicado a 162 executivos, dos quais 100 responderam a 3 perguntas, dentre elas, priorizaram tópicos que devem ser considerados pelas empresas em um projeto de redução de pessoal, para que os colaboradores remanescentes se sintam mais confortáveis ao passar pela situação. Ao analisa-se os resultados da pesquisa de maneira absoluta por meio da correlação de Spearman, chega-se às diretrizes que poderão seguir de guia para organizações que desejem aplicar esta prática no futuro. / In the organizations worldwide, the search for efficiency, processes improvement and consequently the increase of financial results for investors and company owners has driven administrators to search for alternatives to come up with solutions to these positive results to the business. One of the most frequent alternatives is the downsizing. Independently of the reason why companies are downsizing (reengineering, restructuring, decrease of headcount, among others), it was noticed by this author, through extensive bibliography and her own experience as an HR executive, that there are important consequences to the people who remain in the organizations after the termination processes. It is not object of this study to refer to the employees who were dismissed. The focus of this study are the employees who remain in the organizations after the downsizing process. The negative impact for these \"survivors\" are symptoms such as stress, professional instability, negative changes in the organizational engagement, psychological contracts break ups, search for new opportunities in other companies, among others. Nevertheless, it can also be observed positive impacts such as professional growth and new opportunities within the organization. In agreement with what has been exposed so far, the following question for this study has been raised: How to propose a downsizing process, favorable to the employees who remain in the organizations? This study aims to focus on employees who remained in the companies after the downsizing, and, through qualitative surveys, define guidelines that can support to smoothen its the impact, since those who remain will be responsible for the corporate targets for the future. In order these guidelines could be established it was done an exhaustion survey with experienced professionals who had already gone through this experience. According to their observations, e to the bibliographic reference, it was prepared a questionnaire with three questions, applied to 162 executives. Of those 100 answered to the questions, and among these questions, the respondents were able to prioritize what should be considered during a downsizing process; in order, the remaining employees would feel more comfortable with the process. Upon analyzing the results of the survey (absolute and through Spearman correlation), this study comes up with a guide for organizations who wish to have a downsizing in the future.

Introdução: A Estratégia de Saúde da Família é um modelo de atendimento da Atenção Básica, que apresenta um processo de trabalho específico e que necessita de uma estrutura de funcionamento, que subsidie as atividades assistenciais. Para tanto, é papel do profissional Assistente Técnico Administrativo (ATA) propiciar suporte para as equipes das Unidades de Saúde da Família (USF). No entanto, este profissional apresenta invisibilidade por não ser o protagonista da assistência e há poucos estudos sobre o seu processo de trabalho. Objetivo: Construir e validar um instrumento para medir o tempo dispendido pelo ATA no desempenho das atividades diárias em USF. Método: Pesquisa metodológica de campo, desenvolvida nas etapas: identificação e classificação das atividades, validação das intervenções/atividades elencadas no instrumento, por meio de oficina de trabalho, com os profissionais ATA e gerentes de USF selecionadas e teste piloto do instrumento construído, em uma USF, pela técnica de amostragem do trabalho, em intervalos fixos de 10 minutos de observação, de oito ATA, durante a jornada de trabalho em cinco dias. Resultados: O instrumento foi composto por 59 atividades, agrupadas em 15 intervenções dos ATA. No teste piloto, verificou-se que 100% das intervenções realizadas pelos ATA, estavam presentes no instrumento proposto. A distribuição média do tempo de trabalho dos ATA correspondeu: 73,5% em intervenções administrativas, 7,8% em tempo de espera, 8% em atividades pessoais e 10,7% de ausência no trabalho. As intervenções que mais contribuíram na carga de trabalho dos ATA foram: Recepção do Usuário à USF, 29% do tempo; Digitação de Mapa de Produção Diário dos Profissionais Assistenciais, 12,3% e Organizar o Serviço de Arquivamento 10,3%. Conclusão: O instrumento construído e aplicado em uma USF possibilitou: indicar parâmetros, quanto ao tipo, frequência e tempo despendido nas intervenções/atividades realizadas pelos ATA, em unidades com ESF. No entanto, o instrumento necessita ser validado em uma amostra, que permita oferecer dados seguros para o dimensionamento dos ATA. / Introduction: The Family Health Strategy is a model of attendance of Basic Attention that shows a specific process of work and that needs a working structure that support the assistance activities. For this purpose, it is the role of the Administrative personnel to provide support for the Family Health Unit teams (USF). However, this professional features invisibility for not being the protagonist of the assistance in addition to few studies about his process of work. Objective: Build and validate a tool to measure the time spent by the administrative personnel on his or her daily activities within the USF. Method: Field methodological research, developed on these stages: identification and classification of the activities, validation of the interventions/ activities registered in the tool, by workshop with selected professionals and USF managers and pilot test of the built tool, on a USF, by the sampling of the work, in ten-minute-observation intervals, from eight Administratives personnel, during their five working days. Results: The tool was formed by 59 activities grouped in 15 Administrative personnel interventions. The pilot test shows that 100% of the interventions done by the Administrative personnel were present on the proposed tool. The average Administrative personnel working time distribution is: 73.5% of administration interventions, 7.8% of waiting time, 8% of personal activities and 10.7% of absences. The interventions that most contributed to the load of work were: Reception of the USF users 29% of the time, The data process of the daily production map of assistance professionals 12.3% and Organize the archiving service 10.3%. Conclusion: The tool built and applied on a USF enabled the indication of parameters, concerning type, frequency and time spent in the interventions/ activities done by the Administrative personnel in ESF units. Yet the tool needs to be validated in a sample that offers safe data for the Administrative personnel dimensioning

Nas organizações em todo o mundo, a busca por eficiência, melhoria de processos e consequentemente aumento de retorno financeiro para acionistas e empresários leva os administradores a buscarem alternativas que propiciem resultados positivos ao Negócio e, uma das mais frequentes e importantes, é a redução de pessoal. Independente da razão do projeto de redução de pessoal (reestruturação, downsizing, reengenharia, entre outros) percebeu-se, por meio do referencial bibliográfico e da experiência da autora desta dissertação, executiva da área de Recursos Humanos, que há importantes consequências geradas por estas mudanças de redução nos funcionários que permanecem nas organizações, após as demissões. Neste estudo, não se pretende falar dos funcionários desligados, já que o enfoque foi feito integralmente nos empregados remanescentes nas organizações, após o processo de enxugamento. Para estes \"sobreviventes\" os impactos negativos vão desde sintomas de estresse, instabilidade profissional, alteração do clima organizacional, quebra de contratos psicológicos, busca por novas oportunidades de carreira em outras empresas, entre outros. Contudo, também podem ser observados impactos positivos como crescimento profissional e novas oportunidades dentro da organização. Em função do exposto foi proposta a seguinte questão de pesquisa: Como propor um processo de redução de pessoal, que seja favorável para os funcionários que permanecem nas organizações? Este estudo versa dar enfoque nos funcionários que permanecem nas organizações, após o processo de redução de pessoal e, por meio de pesquisas qualitativas, criar diretrizes que possam amenizar os impactos deste processo de enxugamento junto aos funcionários que permanecem nas companhias, uma vez que eles serão responsáveis pelo bom andamento dos objetivos corporativos, daqui em diante. Para que estas diretrizes fossem estabelecidas, primeiramente, foi feita uma pesquisa por exaustão com profissionais experientes que já haviam passado pelo processo de enxugamento. Com base nas suas observações e no referencial bibliográfico, foi feito um questionário aplicado a 162 executivos, dos quais 100 responderam a 3 perguntas, dentre elas, priorizaram tópicos que devem ser considerados pelas empresas em um projeto de redução de pessoal, para que os colaboradores remanescentes se sintam mais confortáveis ao passar pela situação. Ao analisa-se os resultados da pesquisa de maneira absoluta por meio da correlação de Spearman, chega-se às diretrizes que poderão seguir de guia para organizações que desejem aplicar esta prática no futuro. / In the organizations worldwide, the search for efficiency, processes improvement and consequently the increase of financial results for investors and company owners has driven administrators to search for alternatives to come up with solutions to these positive results to the business. One of the most frequent alternatives is the downsizing. Independently of the reason why companies are downsizing (reengineering, restructuring, decrease of headcount, among others), it was noticed by this author, through extensive bibliography and her own experience as an HR executive, that there are important consequences to the people who remain in the organizations after the termination processes. It is not object of this study to refer to the employees who were dismissed. The focus of this study are the employees who remain in the organizations after the downsizing process. The negative impact for these \"survivors\" are symptoms such as stress, professional instability, negative changes in the organizational engagement, psychological contracts break ups, search for new opportunities in other companies, among others. Nevertheless, it can also be observed positive impacts such as professional growth and new opportunities within the organization. In agreement with what has been exposed so far, the following question for this study has been raised: How to propose a downsizing process, favorable to the employees who remain in the organizations? This study aims to focus on employees who remained in the companies after the downsizing, and, through qualitative surveys, define guidelines that can support to smoothen its the impact, since those who remain will be responsible for the corporate targets for the future. In order these guidelines could be established it was done an exhaustion survey with experienced professionals who had already gone through this experience. According to their observations, e to the bibliographic reference, it was prepared a questionnaire with three questions, applied to 162 executives. Of those 100 answered to the questions, and among these questions, the respondents were able to prioritize what should be considered during a downsizing process; in order, the remaining employees would feel more comfortable with the process. Upon analyzing the results of the survey (absolute and through Spearman correlation), this study comes up with a guide for organizations who wish to have a downsizing in the future.

The United States Air Force (USAF) has downsized an average of 10,000 active duty personnel each year from 1990 to 2010. Despite this downsizing, the mission remains the same, which increases the workload on the remaining airmen, lowers morale, decreases specialization, changes the mindset/culture, accelerates promotion rates, and shifts the dependence on technology in the Security Forces career field. The USAF needs adequately sized and proficient members to meet its mission. This phenomenological study examined the effects of USAF downsizing on the USAF Security Forces career field. The great man theory, social learning theory, theory of expertise, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs provided the conceptual framework. Semistructured interviews were gathered with a purposeful sample of 24 retired Security Forces members, near Air Combat Command bases; data were then analyzed through the Moustaukas modified van Kaam technique. The themes from this study were the cycle of downsizing; increased workload despite decreased number of personnel, also known as "more with less"; an accelerated promotion rate; and dependence on technology. The primary finding suggested the need for specialization and consistency of technology used. Further research on downsizing based on budgetary constraints, awareness of the loss of specializations after downsizing, and communication while downsizing could expand the findings of this study. The results of this study can be used by all leadership facing budgetary constraints and technology upgrades. Social change could ensue if leadership observes the cultural changes that occur when choosing to downsize and merge.

Millions of Americans were terminated from their employment in massive layoffs in 2013, which not only created outrage among employees. but also opened the door for retaliatory lawsuits. However, profitable companies are still engaged in restructuring and layoffs, which have a negative effect on employees, managers, and survivors. Such actions create mistrust in management and continue to plague the workforce and the economy. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impacts that layoffs and downsizing have on employees' trust, work performance, behavior, and health. Informed by Sarker's theory on management and employee trust, the research questions explored participants' work attitudes and performances after layoffs had taken place. Twenty participants, both managers and workers who were laid off or who had survived layoffs, took part in semistructured interviews. The data were coded and analyzed using comparative analysis. The results showed (a) most employees do not trust management, (b) stress and low morale were the most common effects from layoffs, and (c) employee productivity was limited during and after the downsizing process. The study can contribute to positive social change by identifying ways for company leaders to manage impacts of layoffs and implement effective organizational communication strategies that may result in reduced stress for laid off employees and a more productive work environment for surviving employees and managers.

Föreliggande uppsats undersöker hur industriföretag arbetar med att behålla och tillvarata kompetens vid omställningsarbeten. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ fallstudie som forskningsmetod, där dokument och 16 intervjuer utgör studiens empiri. Studien har en fallstudiedesign med flera analysenheter och studerar styrdokument, ledning, linjechef och medarbetare. Resultatet visar att företaget arbetat med en övergripande kompetensförsörjningsprocess som utgångspunkt vid omställningsarbetet. Studien visar även att bristande kompetensöverföringsstrategi och tid för kompetensöverföring har varit det största hindret för att tillvara kompetens. Studiens slutsatser är att industriföretaget använt en mixad kunskapsstrategi vid omställningsarbetet. Företaget har erbjudit strategier, verktyg och arbetssätt vid omställningsarbetet, däremot har förutsättningarna inte varit tillräckliga. Vid omställningen har därför informella tillvägagångssätt uppstått vilket representerat en god förutsättning i arbetet. Avslutningsvis synliggörs en bristande interaktion mellan analysnivåerna och utgör studiens praktiska implikationer. Företag kan bygga anpassade kompetensförsörjningsstrategier genom att förmedla informella tillvägagångssätt till ledningsnivå samt att inhämta kunskap om hur kunskapsöverföring sker i praktiken. / The study examines how manufacturing industries work to maintain and utilize competence during downsizing. This study is based on a qualitative case study using data of documents and 16 interviews and applies a single-case design with multiple units of analysis investigating documents, managers, line-managers and employees. The findings reveal that the company adopted a comprehensive competence process as the main procedure during downsizing. The findings expose a lack of knowledge transfer strategy and time identifies as the biggest obstacle to maintain knowledge. The conclusions represent that enterprises applies a mixed knowledge strategy during downsizing. Strategies, tools and procedures were available during the downsizing, but these conditions were not enough. Informal procedures unfold as a result of these insufficient conditions and facilitates knowledge retention. The study reveals a lack of interaction between the units of analysis, which represents the practical implications. Enterprises can build customized competence strategies by communicating informal procedures to management level as well as acquiring knowledge of how knowledge transfer take place in practice.

¡@¡@After the year of 2000, the unemployment rate is growing up every year. Until March of 2001, the rate of unemployment had already climbed to 7.5% and the main reason for this situation was establishment closed or business shrunk. Because of facing hard competitive environment, many enterprises progressed the downsizing to solve the problem of bankruptcy or in order to restructure business. Even though downsizing always be viewed as an effective method to lower operation cost and increase organizational performance; however, some past researches showed that after downsizing many company not only did not achieve expected objectives but also give all workers a very big shock. This happened all the time especially when survivors felt unfair or uncomfortable to the process of downsizing, and usually accompanied with morale¡¦s decline and distrust managers. Finally workers maybe show unsteady performance spontaneously and affect company¡¦s competitiveness. For some successful downsizing enterprises, they considered downsizing as a strategic plan, and at the same time devote themselves to rebuild business culture or progress other human resource system to ease survivor pressure while executing downsizing In this research, we investigate employees who experienced downsizing before, and hope to understand how downsizing influence their work attitudes and behaviors. Besides, it wants to be approved if business could develop other human resource activities to lower downside actions of survivors. After analyzing the data, the results are stated as below: I. Difference of survivor attitudes and behaviors due to employee identification of downsizing plan. 1.There are obviously differences on job involvement due to different level of employee identification of downsizing reason. 2.Comprising with direct layoffs, when using the way of retire to progress downsizing, survivor organizational identification will get higher records. II. Relationships between downsizing and survivor attitudes and behaviors. 1.When employees felt that their company practiced downsizing for the reason of merge or acquisition, they would have positive organizational identification and job involvement but have negative relation with turnover. 2.When employees felt good and comfortable in downsizing process, they would have positive organizational identification but have negative relation with turnover. 3.When employees felt the way of downsizing was direct layoffs, they would get negative influence and make them to have higher turnover. Instead, when employees felt the way of downsizing was gentle retirement, they would have better feeling to company and higher organizational identification. III. All situational items have the moderating effects on the relationship between downsizing plan and survivor attitudes and behaviors. 1.Most growth need strength have the moderating effects on the relationship between downsizing plan and survivor attitudes and behaviors. When employee felt that the reason of downsizing was imitate other organization behaviors, then the workers who were high GNS would have lower organizational identification than low GNS. However, if survivor cognized that company was fair in downsizing process and let employees participate in the plan, then the workers who were high GNS would have higher organizational identification than low GNS. 2.Employees¡¦ cognitions to the change of human resource system would have moderating effects on the relationship between organizational process and survivor attitudes and behaviors. IV. The influence on organizational performance by survivor attitudes and behavior The results showed that this part could not get exactly demonstration from analysis records.

The purpose of the study was to identify and describe the approach and strategies used to downsize a mental health organization. This ethnographic study was conducted at a psychiatric hospital that is beginning the 4th year of a 10 year downsizing plan. Data were gathered through interviews, informal observations, and field documents. This research design facilitated an understanding of the phenomenon in the context of the practices and beliefs of the executive management team. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six executive and four middle managers who were involved in the downsizing decision making process. Freeman and Cameron's (1993) definition of downsizing was broadened to encompass not-for-profit reasons for downsizing. Cameron's (1994) downsizing model was supported and an additional best practice called alignment of purpose was proposed in which the leadership of an organization attempts to align the stakeholders with similar goals and objectives for downsizing. The emotional process of downsizing emerged as a key area to address concurrently with job security and other more pragmatic consequences of downsizing. Empathy was suggested as one method of dealing with the emotional process of downsizing.