From Harvard Business Review: "If You Think Downsizing Might Save Your Company, Think Again"
Firms often downsize because it is seen as a way to reduce costs, adjust structures, and create leaner, more efficient workplaces. But new research indicates that downsizing may actually increase the likelihood of bankruptcy. The research team examined 2010 data from 4,710 publicly traded firms and determined whether they declared bankruptcy in the subsequent 5-year period. After controlling for known potential drivers of both downsizing and bankruptcy, as well as numerous other factors, they found that downsizing firms were twice as likely to declare bankruptcy as firms that did not downsize.
During the Great Recession of 2008, companies around the world downsized their workforces. American firms alone laid off more than 8 million workers from the end of 2008 to the middle of 2010. Even in healthier financial times, such as now, firms often downsize because it is seen as a way to reduce costs, adjust structures, and create leaner, more efficient workplaces. Despite the prevalence of downsizing, researchers and businesspeople alike continue to disagree on the viability of this common organizational practice. We add to this debate with our new research, which indicates that downsizing may actually increase the likelihood of bankruptcy.