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Aims to review the literature pertaining to downsizing with an emphasis on the organization level, and establish the critical success factors of downsizing, that is, guidelines to the successful implementation of downsizing activities. Addresses these objectives by examining first, how downsizing is defined in the literature reviewed, then discusses the different ways in which or measures by which organizations carry out downsizing activities and the reasons that prompt companies to downsize. Addresses the rationale utilized by firms to downsize, the expected outcomes in terms of economic and human consequences, the approaches to downsizing (reorientation and convergence) and specific strategies such as workforce reduction, work redesign and systemic strategy. Also downsizing tactics, human resources as assets vs costs, planning, participation, leadership, communications, and support to victims/survivors are examined. Both laboratory experiments and empirical research concerning survivors’ reactions are explored. The role of trust as well as the human resource professional in the process are included. Conclusions and recommendations complete the article.

This paper broadens and extends the idea of organizational death by arguing that certain organizational site moves, those in which employees hold a strong place attachment to the to be left, are a form of organizational death. It argues for the utility of viewing organizational change as involving loss and including space in studies of everyday organizational experiences. Using ethnographic research (participant‐observation and in‐depth interviews with the employees) of one such organization (the “Coffee House”) and a negotiated‐order perspective, discusses employee beliefs as to how the site move should have been managed as a means to document their understanding of the move as a loss experience and as a form of organizational death.

Analysis of organizational decline has become central to the study of economy and society. Further advances in this area may fail however, because two major literatures on the topic remain disintegrated and because both lack a sophisticated account of how social structure and interdependencies among organizations affect decline. This paper develops a perspective which tries to overcome these problems. The perspective explains decline through an understanding of how social ties and resource dependencies among firms affect market structure and the resulting behavior of firms within it. Evidence is furnished that supports the assumptions of the perspective and provides a basis for specifying propositions about the effect of network structure on organizational survival. I conclude by discussing the perspective’s implications for organizational theory and economic sociology.

Many American corporations, for various reasons, have performed poorly and are now facing economic problems. However, the number of managers has increased dramatically. Their size, diversification, planning strategies, government regulations, new technologies, lack of expertise, and mistrust have resulted in an abundance of managerial positions. Companies are now reducing the number of middle managers. This down‐sizing has been accomplished through a number of techniques. Down‐sizing has not solved all the economic problems and it has created new ones. Trainers are having to contend with retraining managers who are not committed to corporate goals. They fear job loss, avoid risk taking, and are not easily convinced that training will have long‐term benefits. In spite of down‐sizing, American corporations are putting more emphasis on training. However, trainers must demonstrate their critical role if they are to survive in shrinking organisations. Ideas for survival are provided and research questions are suggested.

The review of literature found that there is a significant correlation between a construction company’s organisational culture and the company quality performance. The purpose of this paper is to assess the organisational culture profiles of Indonesian construction companies, and to examine the influence of the companies’ organisational culture profiles on their quality management systems (based on QMS-ISO 9001:2008) implementation. Prior to conducting the examination, there are examinations of the relationships among the quality management system (QMS) variables.

The methodology employed a survey questionnaire of construction industry practitioners who have experience in building and civil engineering works. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument was selected due to its suitability in assessing organisation’s underlying culture.

Within the examination among the QMS variables, it was found that problematic issues associated with the implementation of QMS-ISO 9001:2008 in Indonesian construction companies can affect the implementation of the QMS and contribute to the lower level of companies’ business performance. It was also found that there is no significant relationship between the QMS implementation and the companies’ business performance. By using the Competing Values Framework diagram, it was found that most of the construction companies’ organisational culture is characterised by a Clan type which is reflected in how employees are managed, how the organisation is held together, and how the organisation’s success is defined; the leadership style is Hierarchy-focused, while the organisation’s strategy is Market type. It was also found that different culture profiles have different influences on the QMS implementation.

A strong mixed Hierarchy and Market culture needs to be developed within the construction companies in Indonesia, as the driver to support proper and successful implementation of their QMS in order to enhance business performance in a quality performance-oriented Indonesian construction industry.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how a crisis affects public attitudes toward stigmatized service workers (SSWs) who are blamed by the media for the event.

Hypotheses grounded in two theories, crisis communication and empathic concern, are tested using two experimental design studies of 180 and 107 adult respondents.

The effects of both empathy (positive) and anger (negative) on attitudes toward the SSWs involved in crisis are mediated by controllability of attribution of crisis. Empathic concern mitigates negative public attitudes toward stigmatized workers and appears to remove the effect of anger but only when the crisis severity is not too high. In a severe crisis both empathy and anger are important predictors of public response.

Boundary conditions in terms of severity, nature and victim of crisis and media framing need to be investigated.

Proactive crisis management practice is required by professional associations of SSW. Eliciting empathy and paying attention to prior crisis history and professional reputation offers scope to quell public anger and desire for punishment.

The attrition rates of socially stigmatized workers following crisis events have profound social and financial costs to society. This study sets a foundation for substantive managerial change in crisis response, and how the perception of socially stigmatized workers, is managed.

This study is the first to examine the voracity of two theories which provide informed but different insights to public response to service workers in crisis.

The current criminal justice system is pledged to serve and protect society while preserving the rights of those who are accused. The purpose of this paper is to explore the premise of “innocent until proven guilty” and examine whether this assumption truly prevails under the current criminal justice system, or be modified to accommodate a sliding continuum of virtuosity.

This paper is a conceptual paper which relies heavily on the current literature about criminal justice and related ethical issues.

The paper argues that today’s criminal justice system fails to meet the standards of the virtuous continuum and that those who oversee that system need to rethink how the system operates and is perceived by the public if they wish the criminal justice system to be perceived as just, fair, and ethically responsible.

Because this paper is a conceptual paper it does not present research hypotheses.

This paper suggests that “virtue” and “ethics” must be the foundation upon which the criminal justice system is evaluated, and criminal justice must incorporate an ethical standard which is virtuous and fair to all parties and leaders who oversee that system must meet the standards suggested by the virtuous continuum.

This paper is among the first to identify the viewpoint of the virtuous perspective, moral perspective, amoral perspective, and immoral perspective in the criminal justice system.

Analysis of organizational decline has become central to the study of economy and society. Further advances in this area may fail however, because two major literatures on the topic remain disintegrated and because both lack a sophisticated account of how social structure and interdependencies among organizations affect decline. This paper develops a perspective which tries to overcome these problems. The perspective explains decline through an understanding of how social ties and resource dependencies among firms affect market structure and the resulting behavior of firms within it. Evidence is furnished that supports the assumptions of the perspective and provides a basis for specifying propositions about the effect of network structure on organizational survival. I conclude by discussing the perspective's implications for organizational theory and economic sociology.

Simon L. Albrecht is a registered psychologist and has a PhD and a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology. Simon’s PhD focused on identifying the dimensions, antecedents, and consequences of organizational trust. Simon is a Senior Lecturer within the Organizational Psychology program at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Teaching, research, and practice interests are in the areas of work engagement, organizational development and change, leadership development, culture and climate, and organizational politics. Simon has published in numerous international journals, has numerous book chapters in print, and has presented at international conferences. In addition to his academic and research interests Simon also has considerable consultancy experience. He has previously been a director of a human resource consultancy engaged in delivering a broad range of organizational development activities and programs.