Test of a model of coping with involuntary job loss following a company closing.

Abstract

This study presented and tested a model of response to involuntary job loss based on R. S. Lazarus and S. Folkman's (1984) theory of stress, appraisal, and coping. The sample included 202 individuals who provided self-report survey data at approximately 6 and 12 months following a company closing. Structural equation modeling provided support for the fit of the overall model and partial support for the hypotheses. Specifically, results indicated that coping resources are related both to the cognitive appraisal of job loss and the coping strategies developed in response to job loss, cognitive appraisal is related to the use of coping strategies, and coping strategies are related both to the level of distress felt by the individual and to the level of reemployment attained.