| Reductions in force are used as typical cost cutting measures for companies. However, companies are being faced with the challenges of sustaining productivity, commitment, and trust of those employees who survive the reduction process. This research explored how appreciative inquiry interventions could be used to reduce symptoms of survivor syndrome.;The design of this intervention incorporated three workshops which were held over a 3-month period after layoffs occurred in the human resources department of an entertainment company located in California. Pre- and posttests were used to measure the effectiveness of the appreciative inquiry workshops.;The results showed declines in productivity and engagement as well as trust in management. Loyalty and commitment to the organization was not affected by the interventions, as no change was shown in the post-test versus the pre-test measures. However, post-test survey commentary showed that participants reported they liked the appreciative inquiry workshops, as they provided a forum for relationship building within their team.;The research concludes that appreciative inquiry workshops were no substitute for management involvement in preventing and easing symptoms of survivor syndrome and that trust in leadership is best established through transparency and frequent communication. It was viewed that appreciative inquiry workshops hold potential for ameliorating the effects of survivor syndrome and it was suggested that future appreciative inquiry workshop content needs to be closely aligned with the symptoms of survivor syndrome. |
