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Byline: Glyn Atwal

Merger success depends more than ever on what happens after the deal has been done. And with the chances of success barely on a statistical par with those of winning a coin flip -- 50% -- you would think every detail of the process would receive plenty of attention. But an important part is often poorly managed or even ignored: internal communication. Senior managers, of course, will never play down the need to reach out to the work force. Yet post-merger communication can often be as inspiring as a press release posted on the company's notice board. This is incomprehensible. Whether an employee is in the acquiring or acquired company, a business combination is likely to cause disorientation and confusion. A passive or negative commitment to the integration process will compound that and ultimately threaten shareholders' returns.

Communication -- a means of establishing connection -- will not take …