The Impact on Recently Downsized Business Professionals and Military Officers
The Journal of Global Business Management Volume 14, Number 2, October 2018, Issue 1
Lawrence Crouch, PhD, LPCC-S, Eastern Kentucky University, USA
Angela Spiers, EdD, LPCC-S NCC, Eastern Kentucky University, USA
ABSTRACT
Providing career support for U.S. service members and business executives who are leaving their positions and need to translate their specialized training into marketable skills in the private sector has been a challenge for both governmental and civilian personnel groups charged with this role. For those men and women who initially intended a lifetime military career or thought they would work a long time for one company but found their plans altered by downsizing and personnel shifts and concerns, the task of tackling the entry/reentry into the civilian workforce can be not only challenging but extremely daunting due to the complexities of the ever-changing workplace scene in our country.
As these individuals contemplate exiting their current roles and begin to ponder the future career possibilities that await them, it is believed that the services of human resource and career professionals who work in outplacement counseling fields can help bridge this employment gap. Yet, the merits and benefits of this myriad of outplacement services that are available to departing professionals have not been studied or evaluated for their utility and effectiveness. While an emerging body of anecdotal literature and corporate advertising suggests that outplacement services are highly effective, the purpose of this study was to investigate the merits of these outplacement services that purport to provide quality and useful career-related services to those personnel being downsized from their current employment situations.
Keywords: Outplacement Counseling, Job Loss, Counseling, Support, Services
EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS
This study used a phenomenological approach, which attempted to address the merits of the existing OPCs and shed light on the strengths and weaknesses provided by such services. To reach this goal, a series of open-ended interview questions addressing the benefits of outplacement services was asked of eleven displaced workers who participated in the study. The intent of this study was to encourage the participants to make their views known, allowing them to tell their outplacement services stories and share and evaluate the quality of their experiences, with the ultimate goal of improving and enhancing outplacement services. It was crucial that these participants be able to share their views and perceptions.
A phenomenological approach was employed using semi-structured interviews to collect information on the experiences of newly terminated employees and the impact that outplacement services had on supporting their transition. Data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti© to examine trends. Despite limitations in the data collection due to exploring outplacement counseling services, this study provides a limited scope of inference. Indeed, the concept of using outplacement services as a way to retool and support newly terminated employees is an ongoing area of interest, specifically in integrating the modeling of best practices and counseling support (Anderson and Vandehey, 2012). Specifically, the researchers analyzed the effectiveness of outplacement services as a supportive strategy for transition and retooling of newly terminated employees.
DATA COLLECTION STRATEGIES
Selection of Participants
One-on-one interviews were conducted in person to gain the interviewees' in-depth perspectives, utilizing six open-ended questions. This practice was designed to allow the participants to share their personal viewpoints and their involvement with the outplacement firms provided to them by their former employers.
The interview questions focused on aligning with some of the challenges faced by newly terminated employees, while also attempting to assess the effectiveness of outplacement services. Furthermore, open-ended interviews appealed to support the relational style of newly terminated employees, yielding rich data and emotional reactions upon reflection. This questioning provided an opportunity to gain a type of conscious awareness, and the anecdotal feedback from the participants indicated their appreciation for having someone consider their uniqueness as newly terminated employees and the emotional impact.
Coding
Following transcription, responses were processed for analysis through ATLAS.ti. The researchers chose ATLAS.ti qualitative software for its ease of use in qualitative analysis. Transcribed responses were uploaded and initially coded by participant subjects and by questions from the interview guide.
MAJOR THEMES
Atlas.ti coding was used to identify feedback related to support and services provided by participants through analysis. The following responses were noted: Participant 6 described that they "didn't receive much support in the area of goal setting," and Participant 5 stated that "telephone and email support were beneficial as they made me think." Participants 5 and 7 wanted additional help, while Participant 3 desired relocation assistance. Participant 8 mentioned they were "more sales-oriented than helpful," and Participant 4 asked, "What additional support would have been helpful or could have been available?" The most frequently occurring word in the data was "support."
CONCLUSION
As with our previous research on military personnel, there appears to be a need for incorporating more counseling services, particularly in the area of personal counseling, to help clients deal with the transition and challenges they experience as they enter their new work environments.