“Business as usual” - En studie av kontinuitet och förändring i praktiken i samband med företagsförvärv

Sammanfattning

Acquisitions are often described in the literature as disruptive and difficult processes, but the way employees perceive them is often more stable in practice. This study looks at how employees experienced organizational change in a smaller company after it was acquired by a larger corporate group. The study is based on a qualitative single-case design and uses twelve semi-structured interviews with employees from different parts of the organization. It also includes an analysis of press releases, annual reports, and internal onboarding material. The findings show that the acquisition was perceived as having limited effect on daily work. Although new structures and reporting requirements were introduced, most employees described their daily work as unchanged. The integration process was characterized by changes primarily affecting management and finance functions, while operational work continued largely unchanged. Several employees emphasized the importance of the company’s existing culture, the informal way work was organized together with a leadership communication that framed the transition as something stable rather than disruptive. The study shows that acquisitions do not necessarily lead to major organizational upheaval. Instead, change may happen gradually and be absorbed into existing ways of working without fundamentally altering everyday practice.