DEATH IMAGERY AND THE EXPERIENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL DOWNSIZING - OR, IS YOUR NAME ON SCHINDLERS-LIST

Experiential realities of downsizing, reductions in force, restructuri ng, outsourcing, and cognate terms are often at wide variance with the ir toured and expected promises of increased productivity, profit, rat ionality, realism, efficiency, teamwork, and role interchangeability. Vignettes cited suggest that downsizing is not primarily about economi cs or business but, instead, myth and ritual. Downsizing is explored a s a symbolic form and action, rationalized and masked by euphemism. Do wnsizing implements devastating planned social change, one that takes the form of sacrifice to purchase organizational life via symbolic dea th. Downsizing is experienced as a metaphoric Holocaust, one driven by the need to perform sacrifice (a) to separate bad from good parts of oneself and (b) to secure organizational rebirth through the expulsion of death. The link between the popular 1993 movie Schindler's List an d organizational themes in the language of the Holocaust is explored a nd takes us to the heart of the conscious and unconscious emotional ex perience and meaning of downsizing.