Harwood, Ian (2006) Confidentiality constraints within mergers and acquisitions: gaining insights through a 'bubble' metaphor. British Journal of Management, 17 (4), 347-359. (doi:10.1111/j.1467-8551.2005.00440.x).
Abstract
Mergers and acquisitions are extremely sensitive, both within and outside the organizations involved. Confidentiality agreements are therefore essential for allowing teams the 'space' to develop potential scenarios for future integration. Despite the importance of confidentiality in practice, the subject has received little coverage in the management literature. By adopting a case-study approach, this research explores aspects of confidentiality in a four-year post-acquisition integration programme in a FTSE100 pharmaceutical company. The paper identifies a range of personal impacts on the signatories, as well as various dimensions of information transfer despite the agreement being in place. Through the use of a metaphor, the research suggests that a confidentiality agreement has many similarities with the properties and characteristics of a bubble. This bubble trope is used to enhance conceptual understanding of confidentiality constraints in an organizational-change context. The paper concludes by suggesting some 'key learnings' in relation to using confidentiality agreements in strategic change programmes such as a merger or acquisition.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Identifiers
Catalogue record
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.