A pre-merger study on perception and experience of employees working in public sector banks in India

The purpose of the paper is to study the perception and experience of bank employees prior to the merger of ten public sector banks into four, which took place in April 2020. The study focused on five dimensions - communication and awareness about merger, general view on merger, expectations on benefits, insecurities pertaining to merger and employee satisfaction before merger. Independent sample t-test and ANOVA were used to check for the differences in perception of anchor bank and amalgamating bank employees and across five demographic variables. Empirical findings indicate changes bring psychological discomfort which is evident through low expectations about benefits and higher insecurities related to the job. The study found similarity in the perception of anchor bank and amalgamating bank employees. The study will help understand employees' psychology prior merger and take necessary measures to reduce uncertainties, insecurities, boost their morale and enhance commitment towards their job.