With the help of data obtained from open-ended interviews conducted with the various stakeholders in downsizing operations and applied within a clinical framework, individual reaction patterns are explored in the victims, the survivors (those staying with a company after layoffs), and the "executioners" (those responsible for the implementation of downsizing). Special emphasis is given to the reactions of the executives implementing the downsizing operation. Among this group of people, a number of ways of coping can be discerned, described as compulsive/ritualistic, abrasive, dissociative, alexithymic/anhedonic, and depressive. The article ends with a number of practical recommendations about how to facilitate the downsizing process. From the interviews conducted, it appears that downsizing, in the more narrow sense of the word, can be a quite destructive process. Reframing the concept so that downsizing is viewed as a continuous process of corporate transformation and change, a way to plan for the continuity of the organization, seems to be a more constructive approach.

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In this article the processes of individual and organizational change—their characteristics and dynamics—are explored, and resemblances between personal and organizational change are highlighted using a clinical orientation. Factors such as a period of distress, a crystallization of discontent, a focal event, and a public declaration of intent are shown to play a role in both individual and organizational change. The process of working through the loss associated with change—a process that is made up of a number of predictable stages: shock, disbelief, discarding, and realization—is outlined. Social support, locus of control, and hardiness are introduced as factors facilitating the change process. Finally, a case study showcasing a company that experienced a dramatic transformation is presented to highlight some of the critical change variables and to show how top management can use many of the levers that make for a successful transformation and change program.

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