FEELINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS DURING AN ORGANIZATIONS DEATH

An organization's death exhibits many of the same feelings and reactio ns that humans experience with the loss of a loved one. People are for ced to disconnect from established relationships and to reconnect with others. This disconnecting and reconnecting involves stages of antici pation or uncertainty, confirmation or recognition of the need for cha nge, action, and adjustment. Describes an observational study of an or ganization which exhibits the feelings and reactions during different stages of an organization's death. Three propositions explain how peop le cope during these stages: (i) Those who are able to take positive a ction have a more pronounced sense of their own ability to control the ir own destinies (internal locus of control) and a realistic feeling o f invulnerability. (ii) The beliefs and illusions about an organizatio n's pending termination may be created and nourished by very little in formation, rumours and preconceived beliefs. (iii) Some people, who we re more receptive to feedback, have some very realistic beliefs about their future and were very capable of adjusting their ''paradigms'' of how to respond to their future. The painful feelings of disconnecting might be assisted by feedback and support, while reconnecting to new organizations might depend on one's attitudes and beliefs.