Merger as marriage: communication issues in postmerger integration.

Many health care organizations have found themselves involved in mergers, acquisitions, alliances, networks, and other forms of structural change in order to reduce costs, improve utilization and service breadth, increase market leverage, and reduce variation in demand. This article examines three levels of communication issues that interact with one another and impact the likelihood of successful postmerger integration: affect, discursive frame, and negotiating position.