BASES OF POWER, PROCEDURAL JUSTICE AND OUTCOMES OF MERGERS: THE PUSH AND PULL FACTORS OF INFLUENCE TACTICS
HERMAN STEENSMA
FEMKE VAN MILLIGEN
DOI: 10.2190/TBQ7-KJ12-LB05-F9CD
Abstract
Nine firms combined into one larger company. After the merger, managers and staff members (N = 84) filled out questionnaires measuring the influence tactics they used, their bases of power, and outcomes and procedural justice aspects of the merger. Backstage influence tactics, though neglected by most theorists, were used rather frequently. Several hypotheses were stated about the relationship between, on the one hand, outcomes, justice aspects, and bases of power, and on the other hand the influence tactics used. Most hypotheses were partly supported. As had been predicted, position power enhances the probability that hard tactics (pressure, legitimizing, coalition formation) are used. Position power also enhances the probability of using backstage tactics. Negative outcomes may lead to the use of backstage influence tactics. Procedural justice covaries with a high frequency of soft tactics (consultation, inspirational appeals, ingratiation), but justice aspects like "voice" and "adequate information" do not exclude the possibility that backstage tactics are used by actors. Several other findings are discussed.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.