Males at midlife: A study of involuntary job loss and the orientation toward agency and communion.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Involuntary job loss as a result of organizational restucturing and downsizing is a continuing organizational strategy. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to investigate the impact that this type of job loss has had on midlife professional males, who occupy the positions most often affected when restructuring and downsizing occur. This study sought to answer the following research question: “How is the orientation toward agency versus communion amongst males manifested at midlife when the economic need to return to work is removed following involuntary job loss?” Data was collected by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 11 participants. The interview methodology was based on The Life-Story Interview, developed by McAdams, which was modified and adapted to the specific purposes of this study. Interviews were transcribed and coded to identify themes of agency and communion using the coding system manual developed by McAdams, titled <italic> Coding Autobiographical Episodes for Themes of Agency and Communion</italic> (3rd rev., 1992).
The results of the study demonstrate that the degree and timing of the shift from an agency to a communion orientation was facilitated when the economic need to work was removed following involuntary job loss. The results of this study suggest that organizations can more effectively utilize midlife professionals as an organizational resource during the generativity phase of the life cycle. The results also suggest the importance of coaching midlife persons around the psychosocial developmental needs of the midlife period.