Organizational changes, which include corporate restructuring and layoffs, have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of not only employees that have been laid off but also those that retain their jobs after restructuring but are under constant threat of potentially being laid off in the future. In line with a salutogenic perspective on health, this dissertation examines what keeps people healthy (or healthier) or what prevents them from developing (mental) health problems in these circumstances. Based on a review of the relevant literature, a conceptual and theoretical research model of resources to cope with stress while seeking to remain healthy during corporate restructuring was devised. The empirical part of the dissertation analyses the data collected in a cross-sectional study to determine the impact of individual resources, social resources (with an emphasis on social capital), and material resources on the mental health of employees experiencing corporate restructuring, and to establish the dynamics of acquiring, retaining, or losing resources as well as their interaction. Examining the analysis results by various categories of independent variables (demographics, individual resources, social resources, and material resources) and intervening variables (stress-management strategies and a category of variables related to experiencing job loss or insecurity), it can be concluded that individual resources (e.g., attitude in life and general optimism) have the greatest impact on all dependent variables. However, a detailed examination of specific variables reveals that, in addition to individual resources, certain social resources and variables referring to the wider social situation—or experiencing layoffs and job insecurity as the result of corporate restructuring—are also important in explaining dependent variables. In general, the literature review and this study show that having a job or paid work is among the more significant resources that affect employees’ health and help prevent (mental) health problems. Moreover, social capital (especially social support) is a vital protective factor in dealing with major organizational changes because it has a positive impact on acquiring individual and other resources (e.g., material resources or cultural capital).
|
