Perceptions of procedural justice in the retrenchment of managers

Abstract

In this study, the researcher attempted to establish whether demographic variables, the context of lay-offs and layoff support factors affect retrenched managers' perceptions of procedural justice with regard to their retrenchment. The results confirm that several factors affect managers' perceptions of procedural justice. Five independent variables (voluntary vs. involuntary severance, lay-off magnitude, severance compensation, outplacement support and job search stress) accounted for 47,9 per cent of the variance in retrenched managers' perceptions of procedural justice. It is doubtful that managers will perceive their retrenchment as fair if organisations fail to provide considerable concrete support, including severance pay, outplacement support and job search facilities. AFRIKAANS: In hierdie studie het die navorser gepoog om vas te stel of demografiese veranderlikes, die konteks van aflegging en afleggingondersteunings-faktore afgelegde bestuurders se persepsies van prosedurele geregtigheid met betrekking tot hul ontslag beïnvloed. Die resultate toon dat verskeie faktore bestuurders se persepsies van prosedurele geregtigheid affekteer. Vyf onafhanklike veranderlikes (vrywillige vs. nie-vrywillige skeiding, omvang van aflegging, skeidingsvergoeding, uitplasingsteun en werksoekstres) het 47,9 persent van die variansie in afgelegde bestuurders se persepsies van prosedurele geregtigheid verklaar. Dit is onwaarskynlik dat bestuurders hul aflegging as regverdig sal beskou, tensy organisasies aansienlike konkrete ondersteuning soos skeidingspakkette, uitplasingsteun en werksoekfasiliteite daarstel.