How Managers Experience Downsizing : Navigating among Professional, Loyal, Empathic, and Critical Positions

Abstract

Downsizing, a significant organizational change, is often entrusted to middle managers. These agents play a crucial role in navigating the complexities of downsizing, yet we know little about their downsizing experiences. In this study, our research question was: how do managers who have to lay off people experience downsizing. We used discourse analysis to describe what we refer to as ‘discursive positions’ adopted by downsizing agents in our interviews. Our research material comprises 21 interviews in a large Finnish manufacturing company that underwent a downsizing process. We show how 12 downsizing agents navigated among different discursive positions while serving many conflicting interests. The rationalistic positions of Professional and Loyal target the shareholders, other business professionals, and the employer. The position of Empathic addresses subordinates, and the position of Critical is directed at top management and human resource professionals. We show how discursive positions are divided into rational and emotional spheres and examine the strong tensions between them. It appears that middle managers apply several often-contradictory discursive positions, struggle with satisfying conflicting expectations from top management and from their subordinates, and use several coping methods.