Discuss the proposition that the experience of downsizing leads to the Essay

Discuss the proposition that the experience of downsizing leads to the de - motivation and demoralisation of employees - Essay Example 693). Specifically, the debate on whether or not downsizing demoralises and motivates employees is the issue this paper would like to delve on. Nothing is constant in this world except change. Change is progressive. It is inevitable that it has to be addressed, no matter what. The more you avoid it, the worse you end up, yet you should not also deal with it haphazardly. In a fast developing world, change is something you should always prepare for, because the faster development occurs and so is with change. This is the dilemma most companies, big and small, confront today especially so that in a continuously changing global economy, companies see their survival primarily on the displacement of employees. What initially was an American phenomenon has transcended national borders. Several European organizations (including Volvo, British Airways, Vivendi, and Alcatel), as well as Asian companies, such as Fuji, Sony, Toshiba, Nissan, and Daewoo, have experienced layoffs, divestitures, and closings in recent years. This downsizing is especially significant given the labour laws, worker councils, and national cultures that traditionally have supported lifelong relationships between employers and employees. In China, for example, mores were at one time so strong that this type of organizational activity was referred to as ‘taking away someones rice bowl’ (that is, the company would be removing an individuals means of income). (Marks & De Meuse 2003, p. 3) These downsizing practices have been gaining criticism from different sections of society in every part of the globe. This dilemma becomes more pronounced as the world economy worsens because competition among corporations becomes stiffer and harsher further sharpening the inherent contradiction between labour and capital. In their study of industrial relations systems in the UK, Turnbull, Blyton & Harvey (2004) observed that, adversarialism rather than