The research reported in this article uses a clinical methodology to explore the complex process of organizational exits from the perspective of both voluntary and involuntary exiters. In particular, it focuses on the ambivalence manifested by all exiters in regard to three emotional themes that shaped the exit experience: termination, separation, and change. The article also reflects on the way in which the researcher's group membership influenced the choice of a research topic and the research itself. Implications for research and practice are discussed
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alderfer, C. P.
(1985). Taking ourselves seriously as researchers. In D. N. Berg & K. K. Smith (Eds.), Exploring clinical methods for social research (pp. 35-70). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
2.
Alderfer, C. P.
(1987). An intergroup perspective on group dynamics. In J. Lorsch (Ed.), Handbook of organizational behavior (pp. 190-222). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
3.
Argyris, C.
(1970). Intervention theory and method: A behavioral science view. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
4.
Astrachan, J. H.
(1990). Mergers, acquisitions, and employee anxiety: A study of separation anxiety in a corporate context. New York: Praeger.
5.
Berg, D. N.
(1992). Keeping the faith: The clinical tradition in organizational behavior at Yale, 1962-1988. Woodbridge, CT: The Berg Group.
6.
Berg, D. N.
& Smith, K. K. (1985). Exploring clinical methods in social research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
7.
Bion, W.
(1961). Experiences in groups. London: Tavistock.
8.
Blake, R. R.
, & Mouton, J. S. (1985). How to achieve integration on the human side of the merger. Organizational Dynamics, 13(3), 41-56.
9.
Brockner, J.
(1988). The effects of work layoffs on survivors: Research, theory, and practice. Research in Organizational Behavior, 10, 213-255.
10.
Brockner, J.
(1992, Winter). Managing the effects of layoffs on survivors. California Management Review, 9-28.
11.
Brockner, J.
, Grover, S., & Blonder, M. (1988). Predictors of survivors' job involvement following layoffs: A field study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 436-442.
12.
Brockner, J.
, Grover, S., Reed, T., & DeWitt, R. (1992). Layoffs, job insecurity, and survivor's work effort: Evidence as an inverted-U relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 35, 413-425.
13.
Brockner, J.
, Grover, S., Reed, T., DeWitt, R., & O'Malley, M. (1987). Survivors' reactions to layoffs: We get by with a little help from our friends. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 229-244.
14.
Bugental, J.
(1978). Intentionality and ambivalence. In A. Athos & J. Gabarro (Eds.), Interpersonal behavior: Communication and understanding in relationships (pp. 512-517). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
15.
Bunning, R. L.
(1990, September). The dynamics of downsizing. Personnel Journal, 69-75.
16.
Buono, A. J.
, & Bowditch, J. L. (1989). The human side of mergers and acquisitions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
17.
Cameron, K.
, & Zammuto, R. (1983). Matching management strategies to conditions of decline. Human Resources Management, 22, 359-375.
18.
Caplan, R.
, Vinokur, A., Price, R., & van Ryn, M. (1989). Job seeking, reemployment, and mental health: A randomized field experiment in coping with job loss. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 759-769.
19.
Carsten, J. M.
, & Spector, P. E. (1987). Unemployment, job satisfaction, and employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72, 374-381.
20.
Gilmore, T.
(1989). Issues in ending consultancies. Consultation, 8(1), 41-57.
21.
Glaser, B. G.
, & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine.
22.
Harris, M.
, Heller, T., & Braddock, D. (1988). Sex-differences in psychological well-being during a facility closure. Journal of Management, 14, 391-402.
23.
Hirschorn, L.
(1988). The workplace within: Psychodynamics of organizational life. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
24.
Hollenbeck, J. R.
, & Williams, C. R. (1986). Turnover functionality versus turnover frequency: A note on work attitudes and organizational effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 606-611.
25.
Jenkins, S.
(1988, December). Turnover: Correcting the causes. Personnel, 43-48.
26.
Keller, T. T.
(1984). The role of performance and absenteeism in the prediction of turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 27, 176-183.
27.
Kets de Vries, M.
, & Miller, D. (1984). The neurotic organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
28.
Kotter, J.
(1973). The psychological contract: Managing the joining-up process. California Management Review, 15(3), 91-99.
29.
Kram, K.
(1985). On the researcher's group memberships. In D. N. Berg & K. K. Smith (Eds.), Exploring clinical methods for social research (pp. 247-266). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
30.
LaFarge, V.
, & Nurick, A. (1993). Issues of separation and loss in the organizational exit. Journal of Management Inquiry, 2, 356-365.
31.
Leanna, C.
, & Feldman, D. (1988). Individual responses to job loss: Perceptions, reactions, and coping behaviors. Journal of Management, 14, 375-389.
32.
Lidz, T.
(1968). The person. New York: Basic Books.
33.
Lyons, N.
, & Saltonstall, R. (1988). Why executives won't talk with their people. Journal of Business Ethics, 7, 671-680.
34.
Margolis, G.
(1981, Spring). Learning to leave: Problems of graduating. Middlebury Alumni Journal.
35.
Marks, M.
, & Mirvis, P. (1985, January/February). The merger syndrome: Stress and uncertainty. Mergers and Acquisitions, pp. 50-55.
36.
Mossholder, K. W.
, Bedeian, A. G., Norris, D., Giles, W., & Feild, H. (1988). Job performance and turnover decisions: Two field studies. Journal of Management, 14, 403-414.
37.
Murray, V. V.
, & Jick, T. D. (1985). Taking stock of organizational decline management: Some issues and illustrations from an empirical study. Journal of Management, 11(3), 111-123.
38.
Owen, H.
(1986). Grief work in organizations. Consultation, 5(1), 41-51.
39.
Reinharz, S.
(1979). On becoming a social scientist. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
40.
Schein, E. H.
(1987). The clinical perspective in fieldwork. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
41.
Settles, M. F.
(1988). Humane downsizing: Can it be done?Journal of Business Ethics, 7, 961-963.
42.
Sokoloff, C.
, & Van Steenberg, V. (1981). Leaving SOM. Unpublished manuscript, Yale University, New Haven.
43.
Sutton, R.
(1983). Managing organizational death. Human Resources Management, 22, 391-412.
44.
Sutton, R.
(1987). The process of organizational death: Disbanding and reconnecting. Administrative Science Quarterly, 32, 542-569.
45.
Sutton, R.
, & Schurman, S. (1985). On studying emotionally hot topics: Lessons from the investigation of organizational death. In D. N. Berg & K. K. Smith (Eds.), Exploring clinical methods for social research (pp. 333-350). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
46.
Van Steenberg, V. (1988). Organizational exits. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Yale University, New Haven.
47.
Weitzel, W.
, & Jonsson, E. (1989). Decline in organizations: A literature integration and extension. Administrative Science Quarterly, 34, 91-109.
48.
Wells, D. L.
, & Muchinsky, P. M. (1985). Performance antecedents of voluntary and involuntary managerial turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 329-336.
