Managers during crisis: the case of a major French car manufacturer

Abstract

This research was conducted within one of the major French carmakers, which outlined in autumn 2008, a general plan for the voluntary departure of 4000 employees in France by April 2009, with an additional 2000 job cuts expected elsewhere in Europe. We focused our attention on a group of 21 managers who decided to remain in their organization. Our primary aim was to see how these ‘survivors’ weathered the storm of human resource (HR) measures being taken by their employer. We conducted our research longitudinally through regular qualitative interviews, between January 2009, which was the peak time of the departure plan, and October 2009, which was a few months after it had ended. Our analysis shows that the managers' reactions have evolved from a ‘wait-and-see’ phase (Time 1) to a relief stage (Time 2), then to a doubtful phase (Time 3) and a return to normal at Time 4. We pointed out three factors that might explain this evolution: (1) the personal emotions related to the policy; (2) the other HR policies that were simultaneously conducted during the crisis; and (3) the evolution of the context of the company and of the global economy during the period.