The effect of emotions on an individual's decision to accept organizational change following a merger

Research has increasingly shown that emotions are influential in organisational life particularly during organisational change. The merger of organisations is one of the most common catalysts for organisational change and the role that emotions play in employee acceptance of the change initiative is critical. The purpose of this study we describe in this presentation was to examine the relationship between employee emotions and employee perceptions about the outcomes of a merger instigated by senior management in a large university. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used with a survey questionnaire and a series of interviews eliciting responses from employees involved in the merger. Results indicate that, regardless of whether employees experience positive emotions such as happiness, enthusiasm, or optimism; or negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, or disappointment, they still do not accept the change brought about by the merger. Even when employees are receptive to the merger, they remain guarded in terms of their acceptance of the merger based on personal outcomes with implications for the manner in which the change is managed. We conclude our presentation with a discussion of the limitations and theoretical and practical implications of our findings