裁员是计划消除工作和职位,以减少组织雇用的工人人数;这通常是对不断变化的技术,市场需求和机构压力的回应。裁缝发生在许多组织中,即使在经济健康的组织中,它也越来越被接受为合法的管理工具。裁员的影响超出了失业的员工。缩小规模改变了保留在组织中的工人的工作环境,这些工人在文献中被描述为幸存者。裁员可以改变幸存者工作的条件,并改变他们对组织的看法。一些研究表明,在裁员之后,幸存者变得狭窄,自我吸收和冒险。此外,士气沉没,生产力下降,尤其是对管理的不信任。该症状星座称为幸存者综合征。
There are many definitions of survivor syndrome. In general, this syndrome relates to the negative effects experienced by the remaining workforce after a major organizational change. It also refers to the way survivors react when many of their friends are forced to terminate their employment in the organization. Survivor syndrome is described as a mixed bag of emotions exhibited by employees following organizational downsizing—a set of attitudes, feelings, and perceptions. These symptoms can be broken down into four clusters of feelings: (1) fear, insecurity, and uncertainty; (2) frustration, anger, and resentment; (3) sadness, depression, and guilt; and (4) injustice, betrayal, and guilt. These psychological states can affect survivors’ work behavior (e.g., motivation, performance) and attitudes (satisfaction, commitment).
幸存者经历冷漠,脱离接触,不信任,无能为力以及动力,士气和承诺的丧失。他们的无能为力和工作保障的不确定性会导致严重的压力反应。此外,缩小尺寸后的工作量增加可能导致倦怠和绩效下降。在这种情况下,裁员仅被认为是人事的削减,对幸存者中组织的承诺和忠诚程度大大减少。幸存者觉得他们必须应付额外的角色,而几乎没有回报。
Researchers suggest several explanations for survivor syndrome. Some focus on increased job insecurity, perceptions of procedural and distributive injustice, and diminishing intrinsic motivation of the job. Others point to violation of the psychological contract, perceptions of unfairness on the part of the organization, and the organization’s lack of future vision. Two concepts are core to the survivor syndrome phenomenon: psychological contract and distributive and procedural justice.
心理合同是指雇主与雇员之间关系的不成文。它是自愿的,主观的和非正式的,随着时间的流逝而演变。旧心理合同的本质是,员工赋予了他或她对组织的竞争忠诚和信任,并且组织照顾员工终身。当裁员发生时,员工认为管理合同已被管理层违反。因此,员工认为他们与雇主的心理合同被打破了,他们归咎于管理层违反合同。幸存者中的责备可能是一种投射防御机制,可以帮助他们应对削减的罪恶感。
分配正义是指资源在人们之间分配方式的公平性。一种分配正义的方法,公平理论,建议个人努力确保自己的结果/输入比率等于与他们比较自己的其他人的结果/输入比率。当裁员发生时,幸存者将自己与被解雇和经历不平等的人进行比较。
程序正义是指对确定结果的程序的公平性的看法。在裁员的情况下,它涉及对裁员雇员的程序的公平性的看法。研究表明,当人们认为程序正义(实施裁员过程中的事物)时,它可以最大程度地减少幸存者的内gui和责备。
因此,研究表明,以下是幸存者综合征和绩效降低的先例:通过损耗缩小尺寸,导致技能短缺;组织没有整体减少工作;奖励和评估系统中的不适当要素;并在没有质量改进计划和重新设计的情况下追求缩小规模。
Several studies have focused on the outcomes of survivor syndrome. A field study investigating the impact of repeated layoffs showed that organizational commitment is negatively related to the severity of the layoff. In a survey of senior managers after downsizing, most reported that their employees had low morale, feared future cutbacks, and distrusted management. Lack of communication before and during cutbacks causes low morale, loss of trust in the organization, and increased stress. Low morale and lack of trust have a ripple effect on all dimensions of activity: Research shows that after layoffs, most survivors have diminishing future expectations, indicating low commitment.
Some researchers have found an inverted-U relationship between the job insecurity of survivors and their work efforts. Positive relationships have been found among survivors whose economic need to work is high. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that regardless of whether a layoff is accompanied by job insecurity, it elicits an increase in performance among survivors. Survivors who experience job insecurity work harder because they believe that by doing so, they can reduce the threat of layoff. Survivors who do not experience job insecurity work harder to alleviate their feelings of survivor guilt produced by positive inequity.
关于幸存者应对的发现表明,他们以对他们或他们的组织不利的方式应对。他们不愿承担个人和组织风险,并表现出降低的创新和生产力。他们距离裁员受害者或确定他们的裁员距离与组织保持距离。尽管一些幸存者试图通过增加产量来减少对同龄人的裁员的内gui感,而其他人则通过说服自己,使自己的不平等感恢复了不平等的感觉,那些被解雇的人表现不佳。因此,在某些情况下,幸存者的工作不安全感会暂时提高生产率,但在大多数情况下,它伴随着低士气。
在应对不确定性和威胁感的幸存者中发现的另一种防御机制是与侵略者综合症的认同:一些幸存者通过与高管(感知到的侵略者)来应对自己的阳ot。这通过与强大的人物进行合并来增强他们的自尊心,使他们感觉像赢家,并加强了与裁员受害者的距离。他们在替罪驾驶受害者,失败者时感到公平和合法性。
Longitudinal studies following survivors show that wounds do not seem to heal and symptoms intensify with time. Findings from several studies indicate that some procedures can reduce the negative reactions of survivors. These include giving clear explanations of the reasons for the downsizing and providing information about the compensation given to leavers, as well as the fairness of the organization’s decisions (procedural justice), the way management breaks the news, and the level of job insecurity. One recommendation is to treat leavers fairly to prevent survivor syndrome. Managers in downsizing organizations must realize that survivors have experienced a traumatic event that they have little or no control over; therefore, they need reassurance if they are to maintain their commitment to the organization. Managers must realize the need for human resource policies to cope with the effects of downsizing. Organizations should find ways to nurture confidence in organizational support and to make the employees believe the organization cares about their well-being. Organizational support can be fostered by redesigning jobs using job enrichment procedures and implementing employees’ empowerment strategies. Creating a future vision that survivors can identify with is also recommended.
References:
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- De Vries,K。,&Balazs,K。(1997)。裁员的缺点。人际关系,30,11-50。
- Sahdev,K。(2004)。重新审视幸存者综合征:领导层在实施裁员方面的作用。欧洲工作与组织心理学杂志,13,165-196。