Premium
COPING WITH AN ORGANIZATIONAL MERGER OVER FOUR STAGES
Author(s) -
FUGATE MEL,
KINICKI ANGELO J.,
SCHECK CHRISTINE L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
personnel psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.076
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1744-6570
pISSN - 0031-5826
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2002.tb00134.x
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , psychology , social psychology , coping behavior , clinical psychology
This longitudinal study examined how individuals cope over 4 stages of a merger. The study replicated and extended past coping research by examining changes in coping variables over time. Employee appraisals, coping resources, negative emotions, and emotion‐focused and problem‐focused coping strategies were measured. Negative appraisal, social support, perceived control, and emotion‐focused coping significantly changed across stages. Coping variables exhibited linear, quadratic, and cubic trends over time, highlighting the complex and dynamic nature of the coping process. The findings provide important insight into how company management may influence employee coping during a merger. Implications for future research also are discussed.