Article: Employee retention during Cooperative banks' mergers and acquisitions Journal: Journal for Global Business Advancement (JGBA) 2020 Vol.13 No.1 pp.108 - 133 Abstract: Although mergers and acquisitions are important for an organisation's future growth, they often result in high employee turnover. Employee retention though is an essential prerequisite for achieving the projected benefits for the newly formed organisation. The paper draws empirical evidence from a study that explored critical factors in retaining key employees, since their concerns and problems often lead to voluntary turnover and merger failure. The study utilises qualitative data, collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 55 participants from the wider environment of the Cooperative financial services sector in Cyprus. At the time of the study, the sector was undergoing dramatic changes, eventually leading to a number of previously independent Cooperative credit institutions coming under state control and ownership. The number of these institutions was reduced from more than 90 to just 18, which were subsequently merged into the Cyprus Cooperative Central Bank, which itself was sold in 2019 to a larger banking organisation. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Employee retention during Cooperative banks' mergers and acquisitions

Authors: Nakis Antoniou; Demetris Vrontis; Alkis Thrassou; Ioanna Papasolomou

Addresses: School of Business, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Ave., P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus ' School of Business, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Ave., P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus ' School of Business, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Ave., P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus ' School of Business, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Ave., P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus

Abstract: Although mergers and acquisitions are important for an organisation's future growth, they often result in high employee turnover. Employee retention though is an essential prerequisite for achieving the projected benefits for the newly formed organisation. The paper draws empirical evidence from a study that explored critical factors in retaining key employees, since their concerns and problems often lead to voluntary turnover and merger failure. The study utilises qualitative data, collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 55 participants from the wider environment of the Cooperative financial services sector in Cyprus. At the time of the study, the sector was undergoing dramatic changes, eventually leading to a number of previously independent Cooperative credit institutions coming under state control and ownership. The number of these institutions was reduced from more than 90 to just 18, which were subsequently merged into the Cyprus Cooperative Central Bank, which itself was sold in 2019 to a larger banking organisation.

Keywords: employee retention; M&As; mergers and acquisitions; Cooperative banks; human resource management; Cyprus; employee turnover; employee empowerment; merger failure; motivation; job enrichment and training; job stability.

DOI: 10.1504/JGBA.2020.109147

Journal for Global Business Advancement, 2020 Vol.13 No.1, pp.108 - 133

Received: 05 Jun 2020
Accepted: 05 Jun 2020
Published online: 21 Aug 2020 *

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Title: Employee retention during Cooperative banks' mergers and acquisitions

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