The relationship between survivor syndromes and job satisfaction and employees’ performance during mergers in RHB Asset Management

Abstract

Merger is a complex and challenging process for an organization to undertake. A number of studies have described the psychological, attitudinal, and behavioral effects of mergers on survivors which revealed that it was important to take care of the remaining employee’s emotions and feelings and most importantly to ensure that they satisfy with what the firms done for them .This study investigates the relationship between survivor syndromes and job satisfaction and employees’ performance during mergers. The aim for present study is firstly, to examine the level of survivors syndromes which consist of six important emotions; fear job loss and insecurity, reduced risk taking and motivation, thirst for information loss of trust and confidence on employer, unfairness and depression, anxiety and fatigue; secondly, to examine the level of job satisfaction and employee performance during mergers; thirdly, to identify the relationship between survivor syndromes and job satisfaction and employee performance in the context of merger. Using quantitative design research, data was collected through survey questionnaires from a sample of 132 employees/bankers from RHB Asset Management Johor Bahru branch. The analysis we carried out using descriptive and inferential statistic. The findings of the study indicate that, three of the variables; survivor syndromes, job satisfaction and employees’ performance were moderate level during mergers in RHBAM. However, the correlation results between these three variables were no significantly correlated each other’s. Due to the post-merger period over time, the result suggested no influence between survivors’ emotions and job satisfaction and employee performance in RHBAM, which mean survivors’ job satisfaction and performance no longer impact or recover from the merger event. This has contributed new finding in future towards the body of literature especially in terms of determining the level of survivor syndromes towards job satisfaction and employees performance between pre-merger and post-merger period.