A longitudinal study of employee participation in the context of organisational change
通过三次纵向调查，研究了并购整合过程中信息型沟通参与和结构型代表参与对员工满意度、压力和工作不安全感的不同时间效应，发现前者早期效果明显，后者长期影响更持久。
This article contributes to debates on the importance of the provision of different channels for employee participation in decision-making in organisations in the unfolding context of organisational change. We explore how information-based, downward communication participation compares to structural-orientated, representative participation in an M&A context. Additionally, we explore how different channels are related to employee outcomes of job satisfaction, job stress and job insecurity at different stages of an integration process following an acquisition. Utilising a three-wave longitudinal survey design before and during integration of a multinational M&A in the manufacturing sector (total N = 620 employees), our results show that both forms of participation are related to subsequent levels of satisfaction, stress and job insecurity, as the integration unfolds. However, the temporal sequence of the relationships across the study timeline differs with the two participation forms. Whilst downward communication appears to have a positive early effect on employees, provision of representative participation shows a longer-term positive impact on employees through and beyond the M&A integration. The apparent variation in the temporal effects across the two channels demonstrate how important it is to utilise a longitudinal design when exploring the impact of the provision of opportunities for employee participation in decision-making.