A qualitative study on the experiences of employment separation via retrenchment

Employment separation is an experience that varies from an individual to another. Each one are unique as to the human nature's different background, traits and experiences. This qualitative exploratory inquiry is based on the personal and professional experiences of the researcher and downsizing managers in going through and managing separation exercises during decision making, implementation, and managing in the aftermath of
downsizing. There are limited existing literatures related to managing organizational change, decision making, and downsizing that yet to address managerial experience of downsizing or the personal and professional experiences of downsizing managers. In-depth interviews were conducted on selected participants made up of downsizing managers that is in their current or prior organization during the last 10 years that would make their memories fresh and they are not in the midst of the process or related trauma. The
participants are not currently residing under the same organization or department as to prevent researcher bias, avoid existing relationships, and maintain participant privacy and confidentiality. The research findings signify the researcher's assumption that downsizing managers face numerous personal and professional impacts because of the challenges and successes faced in their role as a downsizing manager during decision making,
implementation, and managing in the aftermath of downsizing. Through the researcher's experience in managing and treating downsizing humanely, management teams should consider opportunities to provide insight, structure, support, and time to downsizing managers, as these elements may minimize the challenges that downsizing manager's experience as well as potential exposure. The researcher recommends that future study should explore environment or organizations that utilizes formal downsizing training for their management teams, a similar design study focusing on outsourced service provider that implement downsizings for organizations, and/or further exploration of managers' humane treatment of employees during organizational change.