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Organization Communication

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Organizational Justice in Mergers and Acquisitions

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Abstract

The significance of formal communication during radical change is often overlooked at a strategic level as the technical, financial, and operational features take center stage. The disruptive nature of a merger can have a negative impact on employees, and the effectiveness of organizational communication will influence how they cope with the changing organizational environment. I investigate the essential contribution of an effectual communication plan during periods of change and consider the influence of its architecture, formed through channels, dissemination techniques, and patterns of regularity. Reliable information about the mood of employees and their main concerns is vital if those responsible for organizing and implementing the change are able to contain resistance and encourage participation. Uncertainty caused by lack of information will encourage stressful psychological states at a time when the need to relieve conditions of ambiguity should be a primary objective. Honest and direct communication is essential to help build employee confidence in the process during the renegotiation and assessment of the psychological contract. If employee uncertainty is to be addressed, one of the most important parts of the management process following the announcement of a merger is consistent communication. The dissemination of reliable information should be recognized as central to these processes, and it is in this capacity that I investigate the significance of communication at the organizational level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leeds University Business School, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK

    Nicholas Jackson

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Jackson, N. (2019). Organization Communication. In: Organizational Justice in Mergers and Acquisitions. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92636-0_7

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