How Downsizing Affects the People Who Remain

When a company lays off employees, the negative impact on the people losing their jobs is obvious. But the people who stay behind face major challenges as well, Michigan Ross Professor Emeritus Kim Cameron explains in a new interview with Forbes.

In the first of a two-part interview, Cameron discusses how the employees who remain in a downsized company may grapple with feelings of both guilt and envy for those who were laid off. 

He also offers advice for companies facing the possibility of downsizing, and emphasizes the importance of upholding values in difficult times.

“It's easy to live values when everything is going well, easy to treat people well. Easy to pay attention to engagement. It's easy to say, we value our employees, we value our customers, and so on and so on. The real test always is the crisis. You know, are we actually going to live these values when it's going to cost us a lot? When the pressure is on? When we have unfavorable reviews? Those are the tests that matter a lot,” Cameron says.

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Kim Cameron is a professor emeritus of management and organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of  Business, and a cofounder of the Center for Positive Organizations.

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