Description

Discussion: Supporting Employees During Restructuring

When organizations go through a restructuring, it can be a turbulent time filled with anxiety, frustration, and fear. This is especially true for HR professionals, who fill a substantial role during this time and may have to alleviate other people’s worries while simultaneously dealing with their own. While many people feel that restructurings are merely a byproduct of corporate greed in the pursuit of profits (which is a possibility), it is often the case that restructurings are a necessary step that an organization must take if it wants to remain competitive or even avoid its own downfall. Organizational restructuring can be chaotic and confusing, so an organization’s leadership may have too many issues to address and may not always prioritize legal requirements or employee morale. This is when HR professionals must step in and ensure these aspects are brought to the forefront as important decisions are being made.

In this Discussion, you will identify an organization that experienced a restructuring and explain how the situation could have been improved through the efforts of HR professionals.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources.
• Identify a scenario in which an organization went through a restructuring to use as an example for this Discussion. Preferably, choose an example that you have personally experienced, whether at your current company or somewhere you worked previously. If you do not have a good example from your personal experience, locate an example through an article or news story.

o    Note: If using a real company from your personal experience, be sure to use fictitious names for the company and people involved in your description.

• Review the Academic Writing Expectations for 2000/3000-Level Courses, provided in this week’s Learning Resources.

By Day 3

Post a 150- to 225-word (2- to 3-paragraph) illustration of HR’s role in supporting employees after an organization goes through a restructuring. In your illustration, address the following:

• Describe the restructuring scenario you identified and explain HR’s role in addressing employees’ concerns. What are some things that HR could have done to improve the situation?
• In general, what steps can HR professionals take to help employees maintain reasonably positive morale after a restructuring event?
• In general, what can HR professionals do to support employees so they can continue to be productive during and after a restructuring event?
• To support your response, be sure to reference at least one properly cited scholarly source.

By Day 5

Respond with at least 75 words (1 paragraph) each to two or more of your colleagues’ postings by doing one of the following:

• Provide some additional suggestions for what HR could have done to improve the situation in the restructuring scenario your colleague described.
• Comment on whether you agree or disagree with your colleague’s suggestion for what HR professionals can do to help employees maintain positive morale after a restructuring event.
• Comment on whether you agree or disagree with your colleague’s ideas on how HR professionals can support employees to ensure their productivity.