Downsizing, rightsizing or dumbsizing? Quality, human resources and the management of sustainability

Abstract

In recent years, sustainability has become a ‘hot topic’ and something all organizations want to be seen as being identified with. The twin disciplines of quality and HRM have joined this bandwagon. In HR terms, this has meant a shift in emphasis away from human management to resource management with the argument that organizations need to allow the needs and aspirations of individuals to be placed at the heart of the workplace (Gollan, 2004). However, this does not fit with our knowledge of the reality of the contemporary workplace where downsizing remains the order of the day and there are now concerns as to the effectiveness of the post-downsizing ‘anorexic organization’. This paper looks at the debates and raises a number of issues for academics and managers in organizations.

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