Dale J. Dwyer and Morgan Arbelo
The purpose of this paper is to learn how managers make downsizing decisions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to learn how managers make downsizing decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants read a created organizational scenario and 25 hypothetical employee profiles and then chose five employees to lay off.
Findings
Older and minority applicants were chosen most often. No significance was found for performance. Rater group membership in race, gender, and age were significant predictors of layoff decisions.
Research limitations/implications
Because the participants were in a controlled environment they may have disregarded other information often available to decision makers. The majority of the sample was students who may be unrepresentative of managers who make layoff decisions. The inclusion of managers who have made downsizing decisions was designed to help address this limitation.
Practical implications
An employer's use of personal characteristics in making downsizing decisions may ultimately affect the aftermath of downsizing.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to study the decision‐making process of layoffs.
Details
Keywords
Kimberly M. Lukaszewski and Dianna L. Stone
The primary purpose of this article is to raise awareness about the need for additional theory and research on social issues in organizations. It also provides an introduction to…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this article is to raise awareness about the need for additional theory and research on social issues in organizations. It also provides an introduction to the Special Issue, and a description of the articles in it.
Design/methodology/approach
The article highlights the social challenges facing individuals, organizations, and society in the twenty‐first century. It also suggests that many worldwide challenges have been accompanied by some of the most significant research contributions in applied psychology. As a result, the authors argue that researchers in the field often have unique knowledge and skills that can be applied to solve some of these challenges.
Findings
The article notes that additional theory and research is needed to help alleviate some of the social challenges that organizations and their members face in the twenty‐first century.
Research limitations/implications
The article offers suggestions for generating new research ideas that can be used to ameliorate the problems facing individuals, organizations and society as a whole.
Practical implications
The article argues that knowledge in applied psychology can be used to deal with the challenges facing society as a whole.
Social implications
The article also indicates that research on social issues is needed to address many of the challenges faced in today's world.
Originality/value
The article provides a unique contribution to the literature in applied psychology because it raises awareness of the need for additional theory and research on social issues in organizations.