This grounded theory study investigated the experiences of 18 middle class, middle
aged men who lost long term employment because of organizational restructuring. Limited
research had previously been conducted in this area and this study extends our
understanding about the impact of job loss on people who have lost long term employment.
The purpose of the study was to explicate the lived experiences of these men and generate
an explanation and model of how they reconstructed their understanding of career
following job loss from long term employment. The men's experience of job loss and how
they constructed career after the loss of long term employment were explained through a
dynamic and interacting four stage process model of the dissolution of career.
Stage 1, establishing career, explained how the men came to understand career as a
relationship. For these men, career, as a relationship, was based on trust and was
comprised of reciprocal terms believed to exist between the "good employee" and the "good
employer." Over time, by fulfilling the terms of reciprocity, a psychological contract was
established between the men and their employers. This contract contained mutual
obligations, such as, employment security in exchange for employee commitment, loyalty,
hard work, and sacrifice.
Stage 2, the termination of employment, revealed how the experience of job loss
signified a violation of the psychological contract. The men believed they had complied
with the psychological contract; however, the employer's failure to provide employment
security represented a violation of the psychological contract. This violation was a highly
emotional experience, tantamount to a betrayal. Although compensation could represent the
employer's effort to honour the employer/employee relationship, compensation in the form
of severance pay was not adequate.
Stage 3, disengaging from career, signified the period of time during which the men
attempted to come to terms with the loss of career. The men attempted to secure new
employment in a world of work different from the world in which they had begun their
careers. Although the men sought employment that promoted the employer/employee
relationship of career, seeking work revealed career as they had known it was unlikely in
the new world of work. Past experience and educational upgrading had little effect on their
ability to secure employment. Employers favoured inexpensive labour, immediate skills,
and short term working relationships with employees. Generally, the men found
themselves working in unstable jobs for less money. The men who secured stable work,
gained job security through union membership or self employment instead of relying on the
employer/employee relationship. The men's experiences during this stage underscored the
experiences of the second stage.
Stage 4, the dearth of career, represented the outcome of the men's experiences of the
preceding stages. Although the men maintained previous definitions of career, they stated
they had lost career and that career is no longer possible in the context of the new world of
work. They were less trusting of employers. They favoured a transactional orientation
towards work and stressed self interest in work relationships. Whereas, career provided a
major source of purpose and meaning in the past, they constructed new purpose and
meaning in life by reprioritizing other relationships in their lives, that is, with self, family,
and friends. One wonders, however, whether life seemed less meaningful for the men
who participated in this study because they maintained their definitions of career.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10016 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Malek, Alard A. |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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