One of the common mistakes in a Post Purchase Integration (PPI) is to assume that logic and facts will win the day: communicate the strategic rationale of the merger and most employees will see the light and throw their weight behind it. But an integration is quintessentially about change, and change is an intensely personal and emotional experience. Not surprisingly three of the most common feelings at the start of any PPI are anxiety, uncertainty and vulnerability. Three of the most frequently asked questions reflecting these very human concerns are - Do top executives know what they are doing? Can they pull it off? Is this the company where I want to risk my future?
Cultural differences between the two companies invariably add to the emotional cauldron, sometimes with explosive effect. How these "softer" human issues are managed is arguably the most decisive factor in the integration. Two key aspects will determine a company's relative success in this field: how it communicates and how it manages the organisational aspects of its people including selection of the top management team, initiatives used to retain star performers and restructuring the work force. | 
