Layoffs and Survivors' Career Motivation

How do survivors of downsizing react to the initial effort? What sort of impact does it have on career objectives, commitment to the organization, job satisfaction? Do workers realize that over the past decade the traditionally linear career path has been warped, skewed, and in some cases split? How can organizations improve their post-downsizing work environment by managing survivors' career motivation? Fowke provides some insights into downsizing effects on career motivation by considering factors that contribute to or detract from positive career motivations, factors including affective and continuance commitment, trust in management, social justice, psychological states, job insecurity, and perceptions of management planning. The author tests a model including these factors by surveying a large company's layoff survivors, and presents positive results, identifying the various relationships between factors and positive post-layoff outcomes, and contributing suggestions for change to both individuals' behaviours and organizational approaches regarding career motivation. In the end, Fowke calls for shared responsibility to develop career motivation.