A Comparison of Merged versus Non-merged Business Establishments in Britain: What Can we Learn from the Workplace Industrial Relations Survey?
The paper compares the structural characteristics, market conditions, organizational features, strategic behaviour and performance of merged versus unmerged private business establishments in the UK. The results are based on the analysis of the 1990 Workplace Industrial Relations Survey. The following conclusions are reached: merged establishments tend to be rather old, of small to medium size, more likely to involve manufacturing than services business, and to be part of conglomerate businesses. They are more likely to have an international market and to operate in oligopolistic markets. Nonetheless, they are perceived to operate in competitive conditions just as much as non-merged establishments. The merged manufacturing establishments are more likely to have been involved in restructuring strategies and to have cut jobs and achieved productivity gains. More merged establishments declare a below-average financial performance.