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Subject : Strategic Management
Topic: Effect of Mergers on Employers,
Employees & Customers.
Effect of Mergers on Employers,
Employees and Customers

2. Building Support Systems and Communication Plans

3. Abstract
This abstract builds a communication plan to tackle
problems faced during a merger. The case in point being
the merger of Princeton File Cabinets, a manufacturer of
file cabinets and office supplies with Sauer Incorporated, a
multinational conglomerate. It outlines the difficulties and
ways to tackle threats and insecurities faced by
employers, employees and customers, costs involved and
goals and objectives to keep in mind during the
uncertainties of a merger. The paper includes a detailed
plan and alternate options to help the merged organization
sail through the transition smoothly.

4. Scenario:
You are the chief executive officer for Princeton File
Cabinets, a manufacturer of file cabinets and office
supplies. Your company has recently merged with Sauer
Incorporated, a multinational conglomerate. The merger
poses numerous potential problems for you and the
employees of Princeton.
Many of your officers and middle management personnel
have expressed concern over their job security. They are
worried that Sauer will install its own management
personnel. Many rumors are circulating. The fears of
management-level personnel need to be addressed. Your
job is also tenuous, since Sauer has replaced key people
after several other mergers and takeovers.
Many of Princeton's customers have expressed concern
over the merger. Your industry is highly competitive, and
there is a real threat that many of your long standing
customers will seek a more stable supplier. They must be

5. assured the quality and availability of your product line will
remain as consistent.
1. What is the objective/goal of your plan?
The objective of my plan is as follows:
• Target smooth assimilation of processes, people,
management styles and work cultures of both the
organizations
• Create a smooth, open and transparent
communication system so that rumors can be
eliminated as much as possible
• To convey to management-personnel that the
objective of the merger is to harmonize both entities,
that is Princeton File Cabinets and Sauer
Incorporated for improved performance and results of
the overall company benefiting everyone and making
them understand why the change is needed

6. • To ensure that the employees of Princeton File
Cabinets get reassurance from management-level
personnel with the right communication and
confidence in this change and make them feel secure
about minimizing their losses—loss of control,
positions, monetary losses etc.
• Make employees see the ‘Big Picture’.
• Prevent employees from unproductive behaviour as a
result of a negative thinking towards the merger by
building support systems through a ‘Transition Team’
to help them sail through the change.
• To convey to customers that the company, though
now merged with Sauer Incorporated, will maintain
the quality and availability of its products. The loyalty
that it has consistently shown over the years, which is
evident through its long-standing customers will be
intact through the same amount of dedication and
service that Princeton File Cabinets has always
adhered to.
• Try and eliminate ‘merger stress’ as much as possible

7. 2. Who is/are your targeted audiences (stakeholders)?
The stake holders that need to be addressed through the
communication are the management and employees at
every level from janitors and housekeeping to executives
and management.
The customer also needs to be addressed as the merger
will make them doubt the stability of the company that they
have been dealing with. They need to be assured that the
products and services that Princeton File Cabinets have
been offering will remain at the same standard in terms of
quality and availability.
3. What messages will be directed to each stakeholder
group, and what communication processes/methods
will be used?

8. Each group will be dealt with in a separate manner as they
feel threatened by different aspects of a merger. A merger
affects every part of the company, both acquired and
acquiring. Hence for Princeton File Cabinets, it is
important that it reassures all its stakeholders in order to
grow and not let the merger and its difficulties damage the
reputation that it has built over the years. Below are the
stakeholders with descriptions of how they must be
tackled:
• Management- The prime message that will be
directed to the management are the objectives of the
merger. Why did the merger happen in the first place?
Was it financial troubles or a plan for both the
companies to grow profitably together. The
management will be made to understand the ‘Big
Picture’ and try and visualize it. They need to be able
to see the building and not just the laying of bricks.
The message conveyed will also make them feel
responsible to keep the company together in this

9. phase of transition. They should be effective leaders
who can convey to the employees of Princeton File
Cabinets about the happenings at the top-level, so
that they can bridge the gap that can sometimes be
created during a merger.
The tools used to communicate all this to the
management will be cross-cultural meetings,
leadership training sessions and motivational
speakers who will help management tap into their
core-skills that is leadership and crisis management.
Cross-cultural meetings will help management
understand the long-term and short-term objectives
and goals of the merged company, helping them
decide their individual benefit as well as those carried
over by the company doing well.
Taking them out for a retreats will be an excellent idea
as it will help them understand the objectives better
by being in a stress-free environment. It will also help
them feel that the company cares about its
management and assist in team bonding.

10. Leadership Training sessions will act as a gentle
nudge in the right direction. It will leave them feeling
positive and energized, to motivate them to sail
through times of difficulty.
The management should also be able to put together
a ‘Transition Team’ which will consist of trusted
employees representing every level, who have
excellent people skills and can smooth over situations
to benefit the company. This transition team should
be able to carry the communication plan forward and
be able to address every part of the organization.
• Mid-level employees- These employees have to be
dealt with in an extremely transparent fashion. No
amount of communication during a merger can be
considered ‘over-communication’. Tools such as
newsletter, regular e-mailers with updates and open-
meetings giving them a realistic picture about their
benefits, salaries and job security will be conducted.
Reducing the gap between management and

11. employees will eliminate the need for rumors to arise
and spread to a large extent. It will help the
management in building credibility with the
employees, which in turn will affect the customer base
as these employees are the ones directly in touch
with the customer.
Team-building exercises will be conducted regularly in
order to give employees the confidence that the
company views them as a whole and not as
individuals, reducing fear of layoffs. With a fair
amount of attrition expected, Princeton File Cabinets
will help employees to move on with resume services,
severance packages in certain cases etc. as it will
build goodwill in the industry through word of mouth
and also with retained employees. These team-
building sessions which will include games, physical
activity etc will also help with morale-building and
reduction of ‘merger stress’ such as increased
sickness, low productivity etc which are all a result of
negative thinking.

12. • Low-level employees- These employees will be
addressed by someone from their own ranks, who is
trusted by both the company and these employees,
as they will relate much more to them than a ‘suited-
booted person’. It needs to be communicated to them
that only who they report to or the name of their
company is changing, and will not affect their day-to-
day work. Care will be taken to ensure that they feel
like an important part of the process and not someone
who is on the periphery of the merger. It is also
necessary to talk to them about their salaries, benefits
etc, as this is their prime concern.
Tools used for these employees will be flyers, notices
etc. along with regular visits and meetings within their
unions if existing or meetings will be especially
conducted interspersed with visits from management.
• Customers- Outdoor communication such as
hoardings, pole kiosks will be used for customers, the
main proposition being something like ‘Different

13. name, same company’ to put it simply. Also direct
marketing tools such as personalized e-mailers,
leaflets, brochures etc will be sent out to make them
feel like the company is focusing on each and every
one of them and wished to continue their long-
standing relationship. The merger should seem like
an endeavor that has been undertaken to be able to
serve them better with improved products and
services.
4. What is the proposed timeline?
The proposed time-line is one year divided into two parts.
The first six months, will be intensive and the next six
months will be determined by the learnings of the first six
months and a step down or step up depending on that.
5. Are there any costs associated with your plan?

14. Yes, there are costs associated with my plan. The costs
include time costs, manpower, monetary costs, as well as
cost of productivity. For example, the Transition Team will
require manpower, training sessions will include speakers
from within the company and outside which will require
monetary expenditure. These sessions will take time and
ultimately reduce productivity in terms of hours put in by
employees. Also due to the low morale and apprehension
within the employees, productivity will be relatively lower,
hence creating a cost on productivity. The retreats will
include monetary costs as well. Communicating with the
customer, the most important cost will result in advertising
expenses, but direct marketing costs will be relatively
lower than outdoor advertising, hence emphasis will be on
direct marketing as it involves a closer association with the
consumer as well as lesser costs. These will be the costs
associated with tackling the problems faced due to the
merger, but they must be treated as a long-term
investment on behalf of the merged company.

15. 6. How will you measure the success of your
communications plan?
Forums for feedback will be open for employees to put in
suggestions and complaints anonymously. Also
counselors to help employees deal with merger stress will
be asked to keep track and notice behaviour trends in the
organization, but withholding names under all
circumstances. Also rate of attrition and productivity scales
will be an indicator as to how well the communication plan
is working.
7. What is/are your alternative option(s) if your plan is
not successful?
1. The first option in case of plan not being successful
will be a thorough understanding of why it failed and
since an ‘education and communication’ approach did
not succeed, a ‘participation approach’ will be put in
place which means those who oppose the change
can be brought into the decision making process.
Assuming that these individuals are rational people,

16. who can make a meaningful contribution, their
involvement will reduce resistance, get commitment,
and put a fair decision-making process in place. The
negatives will also exist in this case, that is wastage
of time and a possibility of coming to a poor
conclusion that will not benefit the organization.
2. If my plan is not successful, a more aggressive plan
can also be practiced which would reward employees
for accepting change with direct benefits such as
incentives, higher chances of retention in case of
downsizing etc. and removal of unwilling elements
from the process that have high chances of leaving
and spreading damage. This helps in the lessening
the impact that negative influences have on other
employees.

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