Employee resilience in the post-merger integration phase: Unveiling the role of employee cognitive uncertainty
Employee resilience in the post-merger integration phase: Unveiling the role of employee cognitive uncertainty

Summary/Abstract: Objective: The article aims to empirically examine how employee resilience (ER) during post-merger integration (PMI) develops through two complementary behavioural mechanisms: the reduction of cognitive uncertainty (CU) driven by visionary leadership (VL) and communication effectiveness (CE), and organisational identification (OI) as a source of adaptive capacity. Research Design & Methods: We applied structural equation modelling (covariance-based SEM and PLS Path Modelling methods) using data from a unique survey of 305 office workers across 295 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2014-2023, evaluating their experiences during the PMI phase. Findings: Results confirmed the proposed dual-mechanism structure. Namely, CU negatively affects ER and serves as a central mediating mechanism linking organisational practices to adaptive behaviour and CE influences ER exclusively through the reduction of CU (full mediation). Meanwhile VL exerts both a direct positive effect and an indirect effect via reduced CU (partial mediation). In parallel, OI independently and positively predicts ER. The effects of control variables (gender, age, residence, and firm size) were not significant. Implications & Recommendations: The findings indicate that ER during PMI is not merely an individual trait but a behavioural capability shaped by organisational practices. Managers can strengthen ER by systematically reducing employees' CU through CE and VL, while simultaneously fostering identification with the newly formed organisation. Contribution & Value Added: This study contributes to M&A integration research by introducing a dual-mechanism framework that integrates cognitive (uncertainty reduction) and identity-based (organisational identification) pathways to explain how resilience develops during PMI. It reconceptualises CU as a manageable cognitive state that directly conditions adaptive capacity. By uncovering the mechanisms underlying resilient behaviour, the study deepens theoretical understanding of employee adaptation in conditions of profound organisational change.

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