Briefly explain a "big bath" including when it occurs and why it occurs

Companies sometimes take all possible losses, such as a write-down of assets and restructuring costs, in the current year so that future years will be "clean" of these costs. Such "big baths " commonly occur when a company is having a bad year. They also often occur in years when there is a change in management. The new management takes a "big bath" in the current year so it can show improved results in future years. These write-down and losses are often an indication of poor management decisions in the past, such as paying too much for the assets of another company or making operational changes that do not work out.