Craig R. Littler

Bravermania and Beyond: Recent Theories of the Labour Process

Braverman and his followers have been useful and influential in reviving a sociology of work. However as well as stimulating debate, the Braverman model has also created impediments to further analysis. This paper discusses some of these limitations and argues that, in part, they result from a particular reading of Marx which neglects crucial Marxian categories. In part, they result from weaknesses and ambiguities in Marxian theory. The second part of the paper focuses on the concept of control, and makes a plea for a revival of interest in the pre-Braverman sociology of the workplace. It is suggested that such work conjoined with that of recent theorists provides a more adequate basis for a theory of capitalist labour processes.

The Dynamics of Downsizing in Australia and New Zealand

This paper presents systematic data on downsizing and delayering trends in Australia and New Zealand. It is based on comparative survey data of 1321 private and public sector organizations. The distribution and depth of downsizing is similar in the two countries. The article compares the outcomes of downsizing in relation to key HRM variables. Our results indicate opposing trends between New Zealand and Australia: in Australia firms have suffered negative human resource outcomes following downsizing, whereas in New Zealand employee motivation and commitment have tended to increase after downsizing. Why are there such wide discrepancies between the outcomes in New Zealand and Australia? The article concludes that discrepancies arise partly because of the restructuring cycle and partly because the frequency of downsizing in Australian organizations has created a severe case of ’survivor syndrome’. These conclusions have implications for the management of downsizing.

Downsizing is dead; long live the downsizing phenomenon: Conceptualizing the phases of cost-cutting

Downsizing as a systematic reduction of employees is frequently utilized in order to increase productivity, efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness of organizations. As a strategy of choice for many firms around the world, downsizing produces far-reaching financial, organizational, and social consequences. Despite the large body of literature, there is inconclusive evidence as to whether downsizing is effective and whether it generates the widely anticipated benefits. Employee downsizing as a change management strategy has been actively adopted for more than three decades. This downsizing article presents a phase typology of job cutting including three distinct phases and three levels of argument. As a conceptual paper, it aims to examine, update, and extend Littler and Gandolfis (2008) seminal work. The research paper culminates with a discussion of current downsizing practices, and posits that the downsizing phenomenon has remained a popular restructuring.

Conceptualising Organizational Restructuring in the 1990s

Organizational restructuring in Western economies has proceeded along different trajectories during the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s. Traditional theories of organizational restructuring have inherent limitations associated with a ’growth bias’. Various new concepts have been put forward, both prescriptively in order to shape organizational change, and analytically in order to capture the nature of those changes. By contrast, these concepts are premised on organizational workforce reduction. This article considers four widely diffused concepts of organisational restructuring - downsizing, delayering, lean production and re-engineering - and argues that the trajectories of change require a broader understanding than has been provided by existing concepts. Towards this end, an integrated model is put forward.