RT Article
T1 “Just a Little Respect”: Effects of a Layoff Agent’s Actions on Employees’ Reactions to a Dismissal Notification Meeting
JF Journal of business ethics
VO 153
IS 3
SP 741
OP 761
A1 Richter, Manuela
A1 König, Cornelius J.
A1 Geiger, Marlene
A1 Schieren, Svenja
A1 Lothschütz, Jan
A1 Zobel, Yannik
A2 König, Cornelius J.
A2 Geiger, Marlene
A2 Schieren, Svenja
A2 Lothschütz, Jan
A2 Zobel, Yannik
LA English
YR 2018
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1785673262
AB A layoff is a threatening yet common event which employees might face at some point in their working lives. In two scenario-based experiments (total N = 344), we investigated which actions of a layoff agent (i.e., who delivers the layoff notice) during a dismissal notification meeting may contribute to laid-off employees’ fairness judgments and negative attitudes toward the employer. In general, the extent to which layoff victims were treated with respect was consistently found to increase perceptions of interpersonal and procedural fairness and to mitigate negative attitudes toward the employer. Further results showed that layoff victims preferred to be given an adequate (vs. inadequate) explanation of the reasons for the layoff and to receive notice from the direct supervisor (vs. an external consultant). Relationships between the layoff agent’s actions and layoff victims’ negative attitudes toward the employer were mediated by perceptions of procedural fairness. In addition, delegating the layoff agent’s task to an external consultant increased perceived psychological contract breach. Our findings have important implications for organizational justice research and for the managerial practice of implementing fair layoffs. In particular, small actions, such as treating employees with respect, might be of benefit both to humans and organizations.
K1 respectful treatment
K1 Procedural Fairness
K1 Personnel termination
K1 Layoff agent
K1 Interactional fairness
K1 Explanations
K1 Dismissal meeting
DO 10.1007/s10551-016-3372-7