Our discussion here draws on sociological analyses of eating disorders in order to develop a critique of managerial discourses on downsizing. Focusing particularly on ‘corporate anorexia’, it considers the ways in which this managerial metaphor conceals the pursuit of a thin ideal in contemporary organizational life more generally. Our contention is that managerial discourses on downsizing, leanness and particularly on corporate anorexia serve to reify organizations, imbuing them with anthropomorphic qualities and locating them in the same ontological space as those subject to them, at the same time as de-humanizing the latter, reducing them to ‘corporate fat’ (Cameron et al., 1991). In doing so, such discourses effectively detract from the structural logic and imperatives of contemporary capitalism by drawing critical attention towards pathological or extreme manifestations of the pursuit of leanness. In contrast to this managerial focus on corporate anorexia as an organizational pathology, our more sociological reading, one that emphasizes the broader social and cultural context of such practices, draws attention to the corporate pursuit of a thin ideal more generally. In doing so, it locates corporate anorexia and related phenomena such as leanness in the performative, instrumental logic of capitalism, and in the corporate/corporeal norms of an ‘aesthetic economy’ (Böhme, 2003). Although the pursuit of the thin ideal clearly extends to a whole range of social realms and disciplinary regimes (diet, fitness, media culture and fashion being

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The tyranny of corporate slenderness: `corporate anorexia' as a metaphor for our age

This study examines a website produced by a group of workers laid off by The Baltimore Sun in April 2009. This study describes the poetics of ‘goodbye narratives’, reflective stories written by ex-employees regarding their organizational experiences. This article uses plot and thematic analysis rooted in narrative and organizational studies to understand community sense making of organizational change. Individually, these writers told stories that expressed attachment to their work and profession, while collectively these narratives dramatically illustrated the impact of organizational decline. Furthermore, these stories provided an opportunity to examine the role of nostalgia within interpretative community discourse. This article theorizes that nostalgia performs both individual and collective sense making, building a bridge between local and durational interpretative modes.

The poetics of goodbye: Change and nostalgia in goodbye narratives penned by ex-Baltimore Sun employees

The purpose of this research is to rethink the notion of stakeholder communication and articulate a distinct ‘communication perspective’ on stakeholder relationships, one that takes seriously the c...

A communication perspective on organisational stakeholder relationships: discursivity, relationality, and materiality

This study has researched the dynamics of upward communication within organisations through the rubric of ingratiation theory (Jones, 1964) and impression management (Goffman, 1955). Upward communication was explored via in-depth case studies, in a hundred and five semi-structured interviews across four organisations in Scotland. A qualitative, interpretive methodology was used. The interviews probed how upward communication was transmitted and investigated how ingratiation theory and impression management dynamics could impact on it by exploring the story telling (Gabriel, 200) and sense making approaches (Weick, 1995) employed by interviewees. The data was then tabulated on Excel sheets, using the Framework Analysis (Swallow et al., 2002), thus establishing an easily referenced, perfectly structured database. Finally, the data was sifted, perused, distilled and analysed interpretively. It was found that upward communication was shaped by processes such as downsizing, management and leadership styles, the power dynamics of the organisation, issues of publicness, and the perceived physical and psychological distance of the superior from the subordinate. Finally, the components of opinion conformity (a factor common to ingratiation theory and impression management), employee silence (Morrison and Milliken, 2000, Milliken, 2003), and cynicism (Fleming and Spicer, 2002; Naus, 2004, 2007) were identified as the most significant syndromes that impacted on the levels of upward communication within the four organisations. Hence, a Conformity/Silence/Cynicism model of upward communication (the CSC model) was devised as a means of illustrating the significance of the most important stimuli of upward communication that the study revealed. The issues raised in this study are fundamental to the theory and practice of management. Openness in the search for solutions to organisational problems is central to organisational learning. The creation of an organisational environment in which this is possible is therefore vital. This is the dominant context of this research.

The dynamics of upward communication in organisations

xii Chapter One Introduction 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Downsizing 2 1.2 Broader Implications 4 1.3 Previous Research 4 1.4 Organisational Knowledge 5 1.5 Perceptions of Downsizing/Restructuring Events 6 1.6 Purpose of Research, Research Questions and Objectives 6 1.6.1 Research Questions 7 1.7 Overview of Method Used 8 1.8 Overview Of Thesis Structure 8 1.9 Conclusion 9 Chapter Two Literature Review 2.0 Introduction 10 2.1 Downsizing 10 2.2 Restructuring 11 2.3 Overview 12 2.4 Background 13 2.5 Previous Research on Downsizing 14 2.6 Knowledge 15 2.7 Knowledge Sharing 18 2.8 Informal Networks 22 2.9 Knowledge and Informal Networks Retention During Downsizing/Restructuring 24 2.10 Conceptual Framework for The Research 26

Impact of downsizing, restructuring and knowledge sharing on retention of knowledge in organisations : implications for organisational effectiveness

This paper examines the process of corporate downsizing and its implications for communicating employee lay‐offs. In an effort to please one set of stakeholders (investors, creditors, shareholders, analysts and others), management may be faced with difficult and unpleasant communication choices as they confront another set of stakeholders (employees, customers, community members and elected officials). The objective in each case is to restructure the organisation, control costs and return to profitability without alienating or traumatising the very people who helped create wealth and productivity for the organisation. This paper reviews current practice, an extended case example, and provides ten specific suggestions for planning and communicating employee lay‐offs.

The art of downsizing: Communicating lay‐offs to key stakeholders

This paper examines the process of corporate downsizing and its implications for communicating employee lay-offs. In an effort to please one set of stakeholders (investors, creditors, shareholders, analysts and others), management may be faced with difficult and unpleasant communication choices as they confront another set of stakeholders (employees customers, community members, and elected officials). The objective in each case is to restructure the organisation, control costs and return to profitability without alienating or traumatising the very people who helped create wealth and productivity for the organisation. This paper reviews current practice, an extended case example, and provides ten specific suggestions for planning and communicating employee lay-offs.

Marek P. Pfeil

Papers

The art of downsizing: Communicating lay‐offs to key stakeholders

The art of downsizing: Communicating lay-offs to key