Acquisition and Merger Process Through the Eyes of Employees : A Case Study on How Change Management and Integration Process Affected the Employees of Company X
Maidell, Terhi (2015)
Maidell, Terhi
Arcada - Nylands svenska yrkeshögskola
2015
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015061113166
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015061113166
Tiivistelmä
This study is a case study about acquisition and merger process, which took place in February 2014, when Company X(name changed) bought three magazines and 42 employees were transferred from Company Y (name changed). The topic covers such issues as; change management during acquisition and merger from the employees’ point of view, how employees react to change and how they experience the change management process. The aim of the study is to understand the employee side of the story during change process in acquisition and merger situations, and to understand how the acquisition affected the personnel, how they adopted to the new circumstances and how they felt the change management was executed during the integration process. The research question for this study is: how employees react to change and adopt new situations during an acquisition and merger process, and how they receive and experience the change management issues? The selected research method for this study is qualitative research and the research was executed through standardised, open-ended interviews. To support the qualitative research and the interviews, three main articles are used as a theoretical framework for this study, and the articles cover topics such as acquisition and merger,change management, organisation culture and personnel. The interviews are analysed with the help of the theoretical framework and other literature through three themes: 1) communication, 2) integration process and change management, and 3) job satisfaction and wellbeing. This case study provides information for Company X’s management and board of directors, as well as to other companies and organisations, on how they could organise change processes in the future. It also raises the awareness of how employees experience the change processes.