Corporate Executions: The Ugly Truth About Layoffs--How Corporate Greed is Shattering Lives, Companies, and Communities

"Layoffs are good for business." That's the myth that many of us have accepted as a grim business necessity. But "Corporate Executions" exposes, for the first time, the disturbing facts about this widespread and destructive practice. It demonstrates that in the long run, layoffs are not "good for business, " measured by any means - company profitability, employee productivity, or national economic stability. In fact, most layoffs have proved to be ineffective for companies, not to mention disastrous for victims.In chilling detail, Alan Downs explains how a new "culture of corporate narcissism" supports the downsizing fad and undermines responsible planning and sound management. He reveals how greed, in many forms, is behind most layoff decisions. Bonus-hungry executives, Wall Street analysts, and investors all cry out for quick profit at any cost, craving the personal rewards that come when layoff announcements drive up stock prices. It's a vicious cycle that ultimately collapses because no company can function without a sufficient number of productive, motivated employees. "Corporate Executions" lays out a complete picture of the damage done by downsizing. It presents: Dozens of examples of companies that are actually worse off after a layoffAn "anatomy of a layoff" - a detailed horror story of a typical day of layoffsA personal account of how a respected, high-performing manager was laid off and what happened to herReal-life stories of many layoff victems - and of the so-called "survivors" who come to work the next day: angry, fearful, and expected to "pick up the slack"the devastating impact of layoffs on communities - real estate markets collapse, taxes rise, people moveaway, and local retailers go out of businessBut "Corporate Executions" is not all bad news. It supplies positive strategies for avoiding layoffs or for carrying them out with minimal trauma, when absolutely necessary. It urges companies to seek "controlled growth, " rather than short-term cost reduction, as the true road to competitive advantage. The book also proposes a "new social contract" between companies and employees. This enlightened approach takes into account today's realities - in business economics and in employee expectations. Finally, the book provides techniques (personal layoff protection) for individuals to use if they sense a layoff is imminent. "Corporate Executions" makes it all too clear that layoffs are not the panacea hoped for, but often a painful and pointless purging of human assets. It's an eye-opening look at how to create long-term advantage by making wiser choices.