Employees from one plant received the merger preview while those from another plant received only limited information. Both objective and self-report data were obtained. Assessment of employees who received the realistic merger preview revealed that they were significantly lower on perceived uncertainty and significantly higher on job satisfaction, commitment, and perceptions of the company's trustworthiness, honesty, and caring than those who did not receive the preview. These same differences were present 3 months later. Too often mistakes are made by ill-conceived efforts to protect employees from knowing what is happening.
Candor works better than whitewashing or silence.
Important messages need to be repeated time and time again. Employee anxieties interfere with understanding. Problems occur when assumptions are made about what people hear and understand. Multiple methods . People's preferences for receiving information require multiple methods be used.