this kind of long-term relationship between employees and employers requires a stable predictable environment and a hierarchically structured organization as we all know stability and predictability have largely given way to rapid change and uncertainty peter Vaill uses the metaphor permanent white water to characterize this unstable environment organization have generally responded to this turbulence with downsizing shrinking hierarchies reorganization cost cutting outsourcing mergers and acquisitions technological innovation and more performance-oriented HRM program intervention like these may address short-term financial concerns for employers but they also have eroded the traditional employment relationship for example a survey of workers found that efforts to minimize layoffs were viewed as most likely to promote high levels of skill and effort among employees