Internal communication and merger of companies the need of a planning

Abstract

Working from the empiric knowledge of some critical consequences resulting from 25th April 1974 Revolution in Portugal, wetried to analyse the results from fusions ininternal communication and the internal climate originatedby the changes occurred in 1980 company mergers, very significant in the realm of the insurance activity of the Country.
We supported our study with a qualitativemethodology led through open semi-structured interviews, as well as acomparative study among two groups of companies under such fusion processes. The key factor that distinguishes the two studied groups is set at the level of moments of change; therefore, while in one group the process is immediate, instantaneous, in the other it is longitudinal, in stages, planed through three years, which enabled the preparation for change that would come along. 
In terms of achieved results, we have to admit that the confusion initially perceived in the fusion processes is registered mainly in the new companies that do not conduct any type of preparation in its new constitution, while the process is far easier in the ones that had the opportunity to plan during the three year adaptation period.