Mary Gowan, professor of management in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, recently published a research study in the Journal of Managerial Psychology.
The article, “Employability, Well-being and Job Satisfaction Following a Job Loss,” was published as the lead article in the most recent issue of the journal.
The study examined well-being of individuals immediately after they lost their job due to a company closing and again six years later. Well-being was measured in terms of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and stress. Individuals with jobs reported more positive well-being than the unemployed, even if the job was not exactly the type desired. This finding highlights the importance of becoming reemployed. Also, individuals who were still viewing the job loss as harmful six years after the fact reported higher levels of stress and lower levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem than individuals who viewed the job loss more optimistically and who felt they had more control over their future. Last, having higher levels of education predicted more positive well-being. Overall, the results of the study highlight the importance of education, gaining reemployment, and both reframing the experience and taking charge of what happens after the job loss.
The Journal of Managerial Psychology (JMP) focuses on the social impact of managerial psychology. Studies published are concerned with the wider aspects of human resource management that is a result of the application of psychology theory and practice. The journal’s aim is to promote a dialogue between theory and practice, and to disseminate high quality quantitative and qualitative research to student and practitioners of management, psychology and allied fields.