An examination of the attitudes of downsized employees towards the downsizing process : the case of ESTEDA'A
This study explores employees' attitudes to, and perceptions of, ESTEDA'A, which is a downsizing method used in downsizing the Jordanian Civil Service. This study compares and contrasts the perceptions of employees who have been downsized by the method of ESTEDA'A regarding its organisational justice, and considers the moderating role of ESTEDA'A type (voluntary or compulsory) in reducing negative attitudes towards downsizing. Research was undertaken in a positivist paradigm. The employees' perceptions and attitudes were assessed in respect of the organisational justice associated with ESTEDA'A, which has two facets: distributive justice and procedural justice. Several factors that potentially affect these perceptions were " identified from the literature of downsizing and organisational justice. Consequently, nine hypotheses were formed and statistically tested to achieve the aims of this study. The required data were collected via self-administered postal questionnaire, which was sent to a stratified-systemic-random sample of 843 (30% of the population) ex-civil servants who have been awarded ESTEDA'A (ESTEDA'A leavers), stratified by the year of awarding ESTEDA'A. Response rate was 36% (= 306/843) of the sample and 58% (= 306/522) of the active sample (sample size less unreachable and ineligible cases). The findings indicate that when compared to compulsory cases, voluntary cases reported more positive attitudes to, and perceptions of, ESTEDA'A. The only exception was the perceived distributive justice. Working after ESTEDA'A, conditional upon wanting to work, significantly influenced the perceptions of distributive. justice and procedural justice. Unemployment rates, conditional upon working after ESTEDA'A, significantly influenced the perceived distributive justice, but not procedural justice. Within those who worked after ESTEDA'A, the new job level and type, significantly contributed to the variances in the perceived distributive justice (7.7%) and procedural justice (6.2%). Other results were found. It was concluded that the experienced decision control might hinder the effect of justification on the judgment of distributive justice and procedural justice.
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