The impact of restructuring on employee well-being: A systematic review of longitudinal studies

de Jong, Tanja, Wiezer, Noortje, de Weerd, Marjolein, Nielsen, Karina, Mattila-Holappa, Pauliina and Mockałło, Zosia (2016) The impact of restructuring on employee well-being: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Work & Stress, 30 (1). pp. 91-114. ISSN 1464-5335

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Abstract

The present review presents an overview of published longitudinal empirical research on the impact of restructuring on employee well-being. We investigated whether restructuring with staff reductions impacts differently on worker well-being than restructuring without staff reductions and the differences between short and longer term effects of restructuring. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanisms that explain these well-being effects. We conducted a literature search focusing on longitudinal, peer reviewed, English-written studies from the period 2000-2012. Thirty-nine papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. We found that restructuring events, with and without staff reductions, mainly have a negative impact on the well-being of employees. The majority of studies showed negative changes over time, on the short and longer term. Some groups of workers reacted less negative. For example workers with a high organisational status before restructuring and workers with a change in workgroup. Variables that intervened in the relationship between restructuring and well-being were physical demands, job control, communication, provision of information, training, procedural justice, job insecurity and change acceptance. Low income employees were identified as a possible vulnerable group. More high quality longitudinal research is needed to get more insight in the impact of restructuring over time and the intervening variables.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	organizational change,health outcomes,interventions,work organization,restructuring,downsizing,well-being,review,longitudinal
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Norwich Business School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Employment Systems and Institutions
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	19 Feb 2016 17:00
Last Modified:	29 Oct 2025 15:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/57207
DOI:	10.1080/02678373.2015.1136710

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