The human side of downsizing

In this article, individual reaction patterns to downsizing operations are explored in the victims, the survivors (those staying with a company after layoffs) and the 'executioners' (those responsible for the implementation of downsizing) involved in the process. Data are obtained from open-ended interviews conducted with the various stakeholders and applied within a clinical framework. Special emphasis is given to the reactions of the executives implementing the downsizing operation. The article ends with a number of practical recommendations about how to facilitate the downsizing process.