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Merger as marriage: communication issues in postmerger integration
Kevin J Dooley1, Brenda J Zimmerman
1Departments of Management and Industrial Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Health Care Management Review
|March 18, 2003
Summary
Mergers and acquisitions in healthcare are common for cost reduction and service improvement. Successful integration hinges on understanding communication dynamics at affective, discursive, and negotiation levels.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Communication
- Business Strategy
Background:
- Healthcare organizations frequently engage in mergers, acquisitions, and alliances.
- These structural changes aim to reduce costs, enhance service offerings, and increase market influence.
- Successful integration of these entities is crucial for realizing strategic objectives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine communication issues impacting postmerger integration in healthcare.
- To analyze the interplay of affect, discursive frames, and negotiating positions in mergers.
- To identify key communication factors for successful healthcare organizational change.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of communication dynamics in organizational mergers.
- Examination of three critical communication levels: affect, discursive frame, and negotiating position.
- Literature review on healthcare organizational change and communication theory.
Main Results:
- Communication breakdowns at affective, discursive, and negotiation levels hinder integration.
- Positive affect, shared understanding of frames, and flexible negotiation are vital.
- Interconnectedness of these communication levels significantly influences integration outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Addressing communication at multiple levels is essential for successful healthcare mergers.
- Effective management of affect, discourse, and negotiation strategies improves integration.
- Understanding these communication dynamics can guide healthcare organizations through structural changes.
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