A Self-Affirmation Analysis of Survivors' Reactions to Unfair Organizational Downsizings

The present study explored the relationship between self-affirmation theory and survivors' reactions to an unfair organizational downsizing. All participants in the present study witnessed the layoff of a confederate. Three conditions were created. In two of the conditions the layoff was handled unfairly; in one of these conditions participants engaged in a self-reaffirming activity (reaffirmation condition), whereas in the other one they did not (unfair condition). In the third condition the layoff was handled fairly (fair condition). Negative emotion was greater in the unfair condition than in the other two, particularly on measures of more "self-conscious" negative emotions. Moreover, the tendency for participants to show more negative emotion in the unfair condition than in the reaffirmation condition, particularly on measures of more self-conscious negative emotions, was more pronounced among participants relatively high in private self-consciousness. Private self-consciousness also was inversely related to commitment to the experiment in the unfair condition, but not in the other two conditions. Implications for self-affirmation theory and the management of organizational downsizings are discussed.