This study renews a doctoral dissertation written in 2003 on transformative learning following job loss. An abbreviated literature review compares corporate and worker circumstances from the original study to the present time. Findings show that corporations choose reductions in force due to pressure from investors instead of productivity, and…

The Great Recession from December 2007 to June 2009 is associated with a dramatic weakening of the labor market from which the labor market is now only slowly recovering. The unemployment rate remains stubbornly high and durations of unemployment are unprecedentedly long. I use data from the Displaced Workers Survey (DWS) from 1984-2010 to…

Solution-focused applications are proposed to assist survivor employees to return to workplace homeostasis after co-workers voluntarily or involuntarily leave the organization. A model for transitional coping is presented as well as a potential case study illustrating the application of the model. Implications for the theory, practice, and…

Two major classes of environmental stressors have been examined in life stress research: major life events and minor everyday hassles. To compare these two classes of stressors along with two stressful life events (threatened job loss and reorganization of the work setting), and to investigate the buffering effect of coping responses on…

Since occupational stability factors are integral to career decision-making processes for students, a study was made to seek information pertaining to occupational stability factors for technicians. Two assumptions made in the study were that inadequate counseling, due to insufficient knowledge about technical education, and an unrealistic…

Traces the history of tenure plans in U.S. universities since the late 1800s and the response of university faculties to retrenchment efforts. Legal decisions concerning the university's rights to dismiss tenured professors because of funding cutbacks are discussed. (AM)

This study explored the consequences of perceived job security and insecurity on the psychological and physical health of employees. Data were gathered from employees of a large midwestern manufacturing organization that produced products for material removal applications. Surveys were sent through company mail to a stratified random sample of 442…

Results of a conference reviewing recommendations favoring post-tenure evaluation were that: current procedures for evaluating faculty are satisfactory; additional formal periodic evaluation would incur unacceptable costs and scant benefit; and results of any evaluation should not be used as grounds for dismissal. (MSE)

A study examined the effects of plant closing on hourly production employees' attitudes and behavior intentions at a General Electric (GE) plant in Columbia, Tennessee. A survey was constructed and used to collect data from 5 percent of the 400 hourly employees in November 1993, shortly after the announcement of the plant closing. The survey…

In light of the many thousands of displaced workers in Michigan, a program was developed to help laid-off workers assess their capabilities, relate their skills to job market needs, overcome the grief resulting from job loss, learn how to approach prospective employers, and successfully market their abilities. The 3-month program was offered at…

Corporate restructuring has resulted in involuntary job loss for a significant number of white collar workers. This study investigated gender differences in reaction to involuntary job loss and tested a model of career gorwth through job loss. Former clients, 456 males and 62 females, of a nationwide outplacement firm completed a questionnaire…

Although work continues to play a significant role in the lives of most men and an increasing number of women that role is changing. This study examined the intrinsic value of work. The 53 subjects for this study were drawn from a review of 160 files for clients who were referred to the Occupational Performance Analysis Unit at the University of…

This review of the impact of the microelectronic revolution on the Canadian telephone industry focuses on the prospect of dwindling job security for telephone workers. Technical advances that are cited as having reduced the industry's job market include the dial telephone, direct distance dialing, directory assistance computerization, and…

This paper reviews the legal aspects of declining enrollments in school districts and the resultant problems of reducing the teaching staff. It suggests that school administrators and boards of education become familiar with their state tenure statutes or have access to competent legal counsel who specializes in that area of law, make decisions to…

Although business organizations consider the financial and strategic implications of "downsizing" (a euphemism for what used to be called "layoffs"), they often neglect to consider the communication and human resource implications. Not only does downsizing affect the operational aspects of the restructured company, but also the…