We propose a new mechanism to achieve coordination through voting, for which we discuss a number of real-life applications. Among them, the mechanism provides for a new theory for downsizing in organizations. A crisis may lead to a decrease in the willingness to cooperate in an organization, and therefore to a bad equilibrium. A consensual downsizing episode may signal credibly that survivors a...

It has become abundantly clear over the last 15 years that organizations must continually renew themselves if they are to survive and prosper. Indeed, intricacies of the renewal process as experienced by myriad organizations over this period have been repeatedly catalogued and documented.' For many organizations, renewal has involved downsizing in an effort to forestall or reverse decline. Desp...

This version of January 26, 2007. German chemical manufacturing industry experienced a major downsizing during 1992–2004. On the average, size of the firm almost halved. Using modern frontier efficiency analysis, this paper investigates technical and scale efficiency of firms. Based on reliable census data, analysis suggests that firms were not primarily concerned with improving technical effic...

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the factors that determine the timing of downsizing, focusing on which periods of positive profits or losses it is implemented in. We shed light on the factors concerning corporate finance, ownership structure and employer-employee attachments by employing a unique dataset. We reveal that the timing of downsizing depends on firms’ embeddeness ...

This study examined the relative effectiveness of three structural approaches to reducing team size. Seventy-one five-person teams engaged in a simulated interactive task in which the approach to downsizing was manipulated. Results suggest that the structural approaches to reducing team size differentially impact team performance, and this relationship is mediated by how and to what degree team...

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals has proven to be a real challenge. Providing evidence on cost-effective interventions did not prove to be sufficient to secure the trust of national authorities, health care providers and patients. Introducing change in a health system requires a good understanding of the relationships between the actors of the system. Social network analysis can provi...

In the 80’s, globalisation was much vaunted as offering the Western world a dazzling new array of business opportunities. In the 90’s, however, the negative impact on the labour market has become all too evident. A look at Germany’s labour statistics shows a frightening picture of massive job destruction in the wake of globalisation. As firms contend with heightened international competition an...

Delayering and the flattening of organizational hierarchies was a widespread trend through the 1990s. Peters (1992) in the USA promoted flattening as an organizational strategy and Keuning and Opheij (1994) promoted the prescriptions in Europe. Despite these strategies and apparent structural changes, the number and ratio of managers appears to have grown. This paradox of managerial downsizing ...

Today, companies of every size are relying on Internet and other network connections to support their business. For each of those businesses, information and network security have become increasingly important. Yet, achieving a security level that will adequately protect a business is a difficult task because information security is a multifaceted undertaking. A successful information security ...