Social categories and merger syndrome in a strategic alliance context

In highly competitive markets, companies frequently undertake agreements of indeterminate length that overstep normal market transactions, but that do not become complete mergers. These agreements are considered as strategic alliances, which normally involve two or more companies aiming to obtain a competitive advantage. Due to a number of uncertainties, ambiguities and tensions that emerge at several levels, even this kind of friendly combination can result in a high degree of turmoil, employee and management turnover among other adverse problems. The reactions to the merger impact have been described in literature as merger syndrome which presents consequences in individuals, groups and organizations. The present study, based on Moreiräs works that focus on the emergence of social categories in the merger and acquisition context, aims i) to evaluate how the strategic alliance is perceived by the workers as positive or negative and, in this way, to verify its impact on individuals, according to the social category and merger syndrome variables and ii) to develop a merger syndrome questionnaire creating a valid scale of measure for such a construct.