Downsizing represents one of the most challenging tasks that business executives can face, because of the human
costs involved. (p. 145)
Why downsizing? Environmental forces constantly affect society and organizations alike. On the
one hand, organizations can create a cycle whereby they can influence or control the circumstances
in which they operate through the changes they make and the way in which they make them.
However, organizations also can find themselves in a vicious spiral of decline and stagnation
through an inability to control their own destiny with inconsistent and unsuccessful approaches to
change. Burke (2005) indicated, “Organizational restructuring and downsizing are a complex and
difficult task. A small but growing literature suggests that such changes fail to reach their objectives