To investigate the link between speed of integration and organization members’ emotional experiences during post-merger integration, we undertook a 30-month, qualitative research project of two merging organizations. Using multiple sources of data, including 53 semi-structured interviews, we were able to identify the periods in which managers chose to accelerate and decelerate speed of integration. Hereby we offer a novel empirical demonstration of the variations in the speed during the integration process. We then describe and analyze the emotional consequences and outcomes of such changes in speed. This analysis resulted in the development of a comprehensive process model elucidating how variations in the speed of PMI affect emotional reactions through sensemaking (‘rationalizing’ and ‘senseseeking’) and sensegiving practices (‘sensehiding,’ ‘sense reversal,’ and ‘sense symbolization’).
