Risk Propensity and Knowledge Sharing Intentions of Individuals in a Downsized Organization

Abstract

Downsizing can be a traumatic event for any organization. Using Affective Events Theory (AET), this study examined how the emotional reactions of employees to downsizing can impact organizational outcomes. It concludes that the use of downsizing activities decreases organizational commitment while increasing perceived psychological contract violation. Further, it shows that these constructs have a respective positive and negative relationship with knowledge sharing behavior. It also concludes that these relationships hold true not only for individuals most vulnerable to downsizing, but also for those who the organization would consider immune to such actions. These results suggest that organizational downsizing activities not only negatively impact the emotional state of employees, but that such feelings translate into negative organizational outcomes and undesirable employee behavior. More importantly it shows that the negative effect of a downsizing event can impact an entire organization despite attempts to insulate most employees from these effects.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA482952

Entities

People

  • Ward G. Willis

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

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  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

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  • Air Force
  • Air Force Personnel
  • Applied Psychology
  • Business Administration
  • Data Analysis
  • Employment
  • Information Science
  • Information Systems
  • Knowledge Management
  • Management Personnel
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Regression Analysis
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  • War Colleges

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