This text argues that downsizing has had devastating consequences on companies, employees and communities. It offers solutions for creating leaner, more competitive organizations through controlled growth and responsible planning. The book plays into the ongoing debate about the role of shareholders versus employees and communities, the advent of "turbo-charged capitalism" and the question of whether businesses should have a responsibility beyond the short-term bottom line.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Drawing on his experiences as a human-resources consultant, Downs here analyzes the current "fashionably strategic" big-business practice: mass firings of employees by companies in a "culture of corporate narcissism" seeking lower costs and higher profits. He discusses how layoffs devastate employees' lives, impair "survivor" morale and productivity and adversely affect customer relations?without improving materially the firing company's prospects, he maintains. Downs asserts that the average workplace today has become less satisfying, with lower pay and fewer fringe benefits. He advocates reordering work relationships, with workers providing goods and services as professional independent contract (PIC) employees, until "the majority of workers... come to see themselves as mobile." PIC employees would be responsible for their own health care, life insurance and retirement plans. Under this new social contract, corporations would no longer bear the "parental" responsibility for their employees. If, as Downs claims, workers stand to gain enormously under such an arrangement, he fails to show how.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Doubts about downsizing have begun to surface here and there. For example, James Champy, the man behind the concept of "re-engineering," has warned against misusing his ideas as an excuse to lay people off. Here management consultant Downs provides his own highly critical analysis, documenting how, in spite of cutting nearly 8 million employees from the workforce, most companies have little to show for the sacrifice. Downs himself previously counseled companies to downsize but discovered that the results were not worth the heavy toll on individuals, communities, or companies. He recounts personal stories and offers company case studies to drive home his point. Even more significant than the validation of his argument is Downs' presentation of creative solutions for cutting costs without cutting staff--and without destroying morale. David Rouse
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Alan Downs, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice located in Beverly Hills, California. He is the author of seven previous books and continues to write and hold workshops across the United States. He is actively involved in dialectical behavior therapy and is a member of the Beverly Hills DBT Team. Dr. Downs is the former CEO of Michael's House Treatment Center where he currently holds weekend workshops for families of those struggling with addictions. His current book, THE VELVET RAGE, has been acclaimed as "groundbreaking" for the gay male community. Dr. Downs has been a guest on many media programs including, THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, TODAY SHOW, and NPR's MORNING EDITION.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alan Downs demystifies downsizing,
By A Customer
This review is from: Corporate Executions: The Ugly Truth About Layoffs -- How Corporate Greed Is Shattering Our Lives, Companies, and Communities (Hardcover)
Alan Downs knows whereof he speaks when he details the rationale, strategies, and methodology of corporate downsizing in the 90's. His spellbinding expose is written from the standpoint of a converted "corporate reconstructionist," and he pulls no punches. He takes you behind the scenes, into boardrooms, managerial conferences, and strategy meetings, in which employees are little more than pieces of play on a game board, manipulated by corporate henchmen in an attempt to drain every last drop of profit from an undervalued workforce.
Mr. Downs' insightful, caring treatment of the workers' modern day employment dillemma both comforts and informs. If nothing else, the reader leaves with a greater understanding of why he or she has been buffeted about in the economic storm that has characterized the greedy 90's. Such understanding allows the victim of a layoff to salvage an othewrwise devistated sense of self worth, knowing that they are not alone -- that the fruits of "profits before people" ideology are widespread.
Corporate Executions is also recommended to the thoughtful exec who realizes that short-term profits derived from a decimated workforce are over-shadowed by negative factors engendered by trimming the sinew with the fat. Low worker morale, lost job knowledge, confusion as to job responsibilities, a general lowering of work accuracy, etc. plague workers to the detriment of the stated corporate mission and precious bottom line. Alan Downs' suggestions on how to structure a kinder, gentler, and, yes, more profitable company are well worth the read
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top-down Management Fails Again!!,
By Dr. Dudley Sykes (Vancouver ,WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corporate Executions: The Ugly Truth About Layoffs -- How Corporate Greed Is Shattering Our Lives, Companies, and Communities (Hardcover)
The author of this book, Dr. Alan Downs, performed corporate downsizings for years and now explains they seldom attain the goals a company wanted.Dr. Downs explains that, contrary to what we read, life in the workplace is deteriorating for nearly everyone. He explains that greed is the driving force behind company lay-offs and it must be checked. He advocates a new "social contract" between companies and employees. America's businesses must begin to understand that they are often responsible for the tension in our society that invites the rampant drug use. Top-down, authoritarian, do-it-my way management defies research into human development that has been with us since 1927 when the "halo effect" was discovered. More harmony and less friction is needed between labor and management and this is what Dr. Downs writes about. He states that businesses need "rejuvination, not dismemberment. He is right!! Many books have been written and studies have been made that show management is not as good as it is cracked up to be and it is time for change. Worker friendly institutions will only be brought about in the 21st Century by managers who know how to inspire workers. Companies who heed this advice, based on sound research will benefit across the board as will communities and the people who work in them. Dr. Downs book reveals a hidden truth about corporate America that government officials should pay attention to, but they may not as special interest groups are at the very top of these companies that promote this "ugly truth" with large pay checks in the form of political contributions. If you are a CEO, in high level management, a politician or a union leader, read this book and go to work on correcting this ugly corporate structure sure to play havoc within America sometime in the 21st Century. Norman Jones, Ed.D author of Performance Management in the 21st Century
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top-down management is rebuffed by Dr, Downs!!,
By Dr. Dudley Sykes (Vancouver ,WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corporate Executions: The Ugly Truth About Downsizing -- How Corporate Greed Is Shattering Lives, Companies, and Communities (Paperback)
In Corporate Executions, Dr. Downs shows how the government and top executives foster top-down management practices that are helping to create unwanted and unneeded tesnion in our country. Years ago it seems that companies had the best interest of communities and employees in mind, but this book dispells that long lost attitude. To his credit, Dr. Down rebukes the downsizing, the re-engineering of companies because he participated in these tragedies and makes recommendations to increase the performance of companies without affecting the morale of people. His book should be read by every politician and every CEO and taken to heart as a measure that would make us a safer, calmer nation. The recommendations of Dr. Downs are even more important than he writes about as I believe he touches upon the attitude of big business that creates tension in our country and delivers a message to young people that the future is going to be a lot rougher on them than the past has been on people in the world of work. Dr. Down's ideas should be put into practice soon, but I fear he is going to be one of many authors who will only be able to set back and say, "See I told you so."
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
