By contrast, employees are seen as the biggest losers when it comes to mergers. A lot has been written about the high human cost of mergers, and how gain on Wall Street often translates into pain on Main Street. Americans have been conditioned to expect layoffs and wrenching changes in the wake of corporate mergers. Even when jobs are preserved, most large corporate mergers require blending two very different corporate cultures. If not handled adroitly, the clash of corporate values and working styles can sometimes doom the relationship.
Opinions are more divided as to what effect mergers have on the U.S. economy and on consumers.
Older Americans, again, are most likely to feel mergers are bad for consumers. On the whole, however, slightly more people think consolidation is good for industry. The lack of distinction between the different industries rated suggests that most members of the general public have not given much thought to how mergers impact some industries differently than others. The one standout is the auto industry, with a majority of those polled saying mergers are a good thing for this industry. This response is driven largely by the prominence and positive publicity surrounding the Daimler-Chrysler merger.