Integration and creative experiences after a merger of two organizations within the Social Insurance Service : A longitudinal group perspective

Abstract

Mergers of organizations are a widespread phenomenon in the public as well as in the private sector. The individual and the organizational outcomes are dependent on the success of the integration process. During the integration after a merger, a cross-fertilization of ideas, working methods etc. is possible and could pave the way for creative processes. The aim of the present thesis is to analyze and gain a better understanding of the integration process and to investigate the realization of the creative potential after the merger of two organizations within the Swedish Social Insurance Service. This merger was investigated in four studies before and during the integration of the organizations with a focus on the head offices.



In Study I, the organizational cultures were captured through the employees’ attachment of meaning to the two original organizations before the merger by means of a two-stage design combining the repertory grid method and a semantic differential. It was found that the employees’ interpretations of the organizations were mainly structured in a general climate factor. Employees from the two original organizations agreed in their evaluation of one of the organizations as having a climate that could be interpreted as more positive than that of the other organization.



Study II investigated activities, interactions and creative experiences in a work unit in the newly merged head office by means of experience sampling. Heterogeneous (with reference to organizational background) interactions were found to have less creative experiences as compared to other interactions.



In Study III, the team climate for innovation was examined in four work units at the new head office. The Team Climate Inventory showed that about one year after the merger the climate in the merged work units was perceived as less socially integrated than in a sample of Swedish organizations in general.



Study IV examined the organizational culture of the new, merged organization about one and a half years after the merger and compared it to the results of Study I. It was found that in the climate dimension one of the original organizations had been dominating in the integration process. Employees from the other original organization evaluated the climate as more authoritarian and controlling in the new, merged organization.



The results of the four studies taken together and the connection between the integration process and the realization of the creative potential are discussed.

Abstract (Swedish)

Popular Abstract in Swedish

Organisationssammanslagningar är vanligt förekommande inom såväl offentlig som privat verksamhet. Effekterna för de anställda och för organisationerna är beroende av hur integrationsprocessen förlöper. En korsbefruktning kan äga rum när idéer och arbetssätt möts efter sammanslagningen. Syftet med avhandlingen är att analysera integrationsprocessen och undersöka om den kreativa potentialen realiserades efter sammanslagningen av två regionala organisationer inom Försäkringskassan. Studierna fokuserades på centralkontoren som integrerades helt vid sammanslagningen.



Organisationskulturerna i de båda ursprungliga organisationerna analyserades i en studie före sammanslagningen. Resultatet visade att det fanns skillnader i organisationskulturerna och att personalen i båda organisationerna uppfattade klimaten i den ena organisationen på ett sätt som kan tolkas som mer positivt än i den andra organisationen. Efter sammanslagningen undersöktes aktiviteter, sociala interaktioner och kreativa upplevelser i en enhet på det nya centralkontoret. Kreativa upplevelser var mindre förekommande i interaktioner där personal med olika organisationsbakgrund deltog jämfört med andra typer av interaktioner. Den mest förekommande aktiviteten vid dessa heterogena interaktioner var möten. Teamklimatet kartlades också i samtliga arbetsenheter med fokus på innovativa processer. Den sociala integrationen visade sig vara lägre ett år efter sammanslagningen jämfört med en studie av organisationer i allmänhet. Organisationskulturen i den nya organisationen undersöktes ett år och fyra månader efter sammanslagningen och jämfördes med organisationskulturerna i de två ursprungsorganisationerna. Resultatet visade att en av organisationerna varit dominerande i integrationsprocessen och att personalen från den andra organisationen upplevde klimatet som mer auktoritärt och kontrollerande i den nya organisationen.



Resultatet av studierna sammantaget och relationen mellan integrationsprocessen och den kreativa potentialens förverkligande diskuteras.

• author: Dackert, Ingrid
• supervisor: [unknown] [unknown]
• opponent: Professor Forslin, Jan, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
• organization: Department of Psychology
• publishing date: 2001
• type: Thesis
• publication status: published
• subject: Psychology
• keywords: Experience sampling, Repertory grid, Team climate, Innovation, Creativity, Organizational climate, Merger, Organizational culture, Psychology, Psykologi
• pages: 136 pages
• defense location: Aten AF, Lund
• defense date: 2001-05-11 10:15:00
• external identifiers: other:ISRN: LUSADG/SAPS--01/1091--SE
• ISBN: 91-628-4732-5
• language: English
• LU publication?: yes
• id: 9665773d-7343-4a0e-8b3a-dc51260ac99b (old id 41549)
• date added to LUP: 2016-04-04 12:14:11
• date last changed: 2021-11-26 17:39:28