Essentials of Contemporary Management 7th Edition by Gareth Jones,Jennifer George

Exercise 5

After implementing efficiency improving techniques, many companies commonly lay off hundreds or thousands of employees whose services are no longer required. And frequently, the remaining employees must perform more tasks more quickly-a situation that can generate employee stress and other work-related problems. In addition, these employees may experience "survivor's guilt" because they kept their jobs while many of their colleagues and friends were let go.
How big a layoff, if any, would be acceptable? If layoffs are acceptable, what could be done to reduce their harm to employees?