Volume 10, No. 1, April 2011

 

Downsizing and Profitability: An Empirical Study
of Portuguese Firms in 1993–2005
Tânia Marques
School of Technology and Management, Management for Sustainability Research Center, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal
Isabel Suárez González
Department of Business Administration and Management, University of Salamanca, Spain
Pedro Cruz
ISG Business School, CIGEST/ID+ Research Units, Lisbon/Aveiro, Portugal
Manuel Portugal Ferreira
Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, GlobADVANTAGE—Center of Research in International Business & Strategy, Portugal
Abstract
Although firms may resort to downsizing strategies to improve financial performance, the actual outcome of downsizing is inconclusive. Testing a sample of 1,357 Portuguese firms, we conclude that firms that downsize tend to continue to underperform compared to those that do not downsize.
Key words: downsizing effects; downsizing performance; financial performance; Portugal
JEL classification: G34; M19

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