Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Organizations and businesses today are faced with increased demands to become leaner, less hierarchical, and more adaptive. These demands are the result of global competition and rapid technological change. Many organizations have responded by corporate restructuring and downsizing, often "outsourcing" many functions originally assigned to permanent employees. How do workers fare in this competitive and uncertain environment? How has the psychological contract between worker and employer changed? How can companies minimize the human impact of downsizing while remaining competitive? And how can the workforce that remains after restructuring be motivated to perform well? These are some of the questions addressed in this volume. The New Organizational Reality: Downsizing, Restructuring, and Revitalization is divided into three main sections. In Part I, the authors paint a picture of the new organizational landscape and assess the economic and human implications of the new work environment. In Part II, case studies from both the private and public sectors show how organizations such as AT&T, the U.S. Airforce, and the U.S. Government Office of Personnel Management have successfully managed restructuring. Part III presents a discussion of principles and practices that enable managers and human resource staff to revitalize companies affected by restructuring. This crossdisciplinary book will be of interest to industrial-organizational psychologists and to company managers and human resource personnel.