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Don’t Downsize This! Social Reactions to Mass Dismissals on Twitter

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Bassanini

    (OCDE - Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Economiques = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

  • Eve Caroli

    (Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Bruno Chaves Ferreira

    (Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Antoine Reberioux

    (UPCité - Université Paris Cité, LADYSS - Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UPCité - Université Paris Cité)

Abstract

"We study the reactions to job destructions on Twitter. We use information on large-scale job-destruction and job-creation events announced in the United Kingdom over the period 2013-2018. We match it with data collected on Twitter regarding the number and sentiments of the tweets posted around the time of the announcement and involving the company name. We show that job-destruction announcements immediately elicit numerous and strongly negative reactions. On the day of the announcement, the number of tweets and first-level replies sharply increases as does the negativity of the sentiments of the posted tweets. These reactions are systematically more important than reactions to job creations. We also show that they trigger significant losses in the market value of the downsizing firms. Our findings suggest that job destructions generate reputational costs for firms to the extent that they induce a strong negative buzz involving the company name."

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Bassanini & Eve Caroli & Bruno Chaves Ferreira & Antoine Reberioux, 2020. "Don’t Downsize This! Social Reactions to Mass Dismissals on Twitter," Post-Print halshs-03012930, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-03012930
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    Cited by:

    1. Bassanini, Andrea & Caroli, Eve & Fontaine, François & Rebérioux, Antoine, 2021. "Escaping social pressure: Fixed-term contracts in multi-establishment firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 697-715.
    2. Andrea Bassanini & Eve Caroli & Kevin Geay & Antoine Reberioux, 2024. "Heavy is the crown: CEOs’ social interactions and layoff decisions," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 33(5), pages 1253-1270.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    job destructions; job creations; adjustment costs; social media; Sentiment analysis; Cumulative abnormal returns;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions

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