Loss of site: organizational site moves as organizational deaths

Abstract

In this paper, I broaden and extend the idea of organizational death by arguing that certain organizational site moves, those in which employees hold a strong place attachment to the site to be left, are a form of organizational death. I argue for the utility of (1) viewing organizational change as involving loss and (2) including space in studies of everyday organizational experience. Using ethnographic research (participantobservation and in-depth interviews with employees) of one such organization (the "Coffee House") and a negotiated-order perspective, I discuss employee beliefs as to how the site move should have been managed as a means to document their understanding of the move as a loss experience and as a form of organizational death. These employee desires include (1) recognition of employee feelings of loss and legitimization of employee nostalgia for the old site, (2) better managerial communication with employees prior to and after the move, (3) the holding of parting ceremonies at the time of the move, (4) memorializing and preserving artifacts from the old site, and (5) reinforcing and/or re-establishing organizational patterns and rules disrupted due to the move. Additionally, I discuss possible situational variations regarding site moves as deaths, including assessment of (1) the level and type of attachment to a site, (2) the impact of the appeal of the new site, (3) the attachments of groups other than employees, and (4) spatial losses other than site moves.It was such a stark change. It was really, really distinct. I mean the move from the old Coffee House to the new Coffee House. It was like one had died and the other one had been born. It really was. I mean you say "new" and "old" Coffee House, but they were almost so different, it wasn't really the same thing. (Christine, Worker) The goal of this article is to broaden and extend the idea of organizational death by arguing that certain organizational site moves, those in

Effect of Organizational Change on Employee Job Involvement: Mediating Role of Communication, Emotions and Psychological Contract

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Death metaphors and factory closure

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