Organizational grief: an emotional perspective on understanding employee reactions to job redundancy

an article by Rachel Davey (Institute of Administrative Management, London, UK) and Colm Fearon and Heather McLaughlin (Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK) published in Development and Learning in Organizations Volume 27 Issue 2 (2013)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of organizational grief in understanding employee reactions to redundancy, managing change and personal development in the UK public sector.

Design/methodology/approach
In today’s UK public sector, learning and managing the realities of redundancy and organisational change is explored using a case study of a civil service/ public sector agency. The authors use the lens of the Kübler-Ross grief cycle to examine employee reactions to organizational change.

Findings
There is no easy way of managing this type of change, and many employees were at different stages of coming to terms with organisational closure and eventual redundancy. Some employees were reacting to change progressively and accepting their new organisational reality, whilst others had not yet reached acceptance. Nevertheless, an important finding has been that a number of staff did appear to be moving on, readjusting and thinking about their future career aspirations and wider life options.

Originality/value
The article uses a unique narrative style to examine common employee emotions and behaviours associated with organizational change in a redundancy and closure situation. It offers unique insight for senior managers in public sector administrations, in both the UK and elsewhere.

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