| Summary: | The purpose of the study was to identify and describe the approach and strategies
used to downsize a mental health organization. This ethnographic study was
conducted at a psychiatric hospital that is beginning the 4th year of a 10 year
downsizing plan. Data were gathered through interviews, informal observations, and
field documents. This research design facilitated an understanding of the phenomenon
in the context of the practices and beliefs of the executive management team. Semistructured
interviews were conducted with six executive and four middle managers who
were involved in the downsizing decision making process. Freeman and Cameron's
(1993) definition of downsizing was broadened to encompass not-for-profit reasons for
downsizing. Cameron's (1994) downsizing model was supported and an additional
best practice called alignment of purpose was proposed in which the leadership of an
organization attempts to align the stakeholders with similar goals and objectives for
downsizing. The emotional process of downsizing emerged as a key area to address
concurrently with job security and other more pragmatic consequences of downsizing.
Empathy was suggested as one method of dealing with the emotional process of
downsizing. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate
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