New development concerning the effect of work overload on employees

Abstract

Downsizing is a process to make a company more efficient and costeffective by eliminating nonvalue‐added work processes and people. Unfortunately, it has become a common business practice in today’s firms in order to stay competitive and strong. The practice, however, can be disastrous if the company does not treat the human aspect of the process. During and after downsizing the workforce may suffer from what is known as the “survivor syndrome”. This article addresses the work overload felt by employees in the aftermath of a downsizing. Afirm’s effective management of downsizing is intricately related to the possible strategies of alleviating work overload and addressing employees’ concerns. This relationship is especially important between the organisation and the employees during and after the change. The success or failure of downsizing relies on the remaining workforce.

Citation

Fong, K. and Kleiner, B.H. (2004), "New development concerning the effect of work overload on employees", Management Research News, Vol. 27 No. 4/5, pp. 9-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170410784419