Image and identification of bank customers after a merger or acquisition

Mergers and acquisitions are a common strategy in the Spanish banking sector. The activities and changes they cause have an important effect on the relationship with customers of this type of entities. These processes involve many and very fast changes that generate great uncertainty on the clients. At the same time, they significantly affect their perception of the entity, and, in particular, their connection and identification with it. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze the effect of bank mergers or acquisitions on the relationship between the variance in the perceived image of the entity by the consumer and the identification of consumers with it. Also, the moderating roles of the demographic variables and variables of bank behavior are analyzed. Through a structural equation model and using a sample of customers of merged entities in Spain, results suggest that consumers perceive a decline in their identification with the entity, explained by the perception of changes in the attitude and behavior of the organization and of the staff, as well as in the communication that occurs during and after the process of merger or acquisition. In addition, the moderating roles of gender of consumers and the level of education are confirmed.