A private equity buyout (PEB) constitutes an important organizational event that usually heralds major organizational transformations. As such, the announcement of a possible PEB can be expected to impact the organization and require careful management of the pre-PEB process. This article investigates the role and contribution of human resource management (HRM) during a two-year process of negotiations preceding a PEB. It shows the vulnerability of HR-based change contributions to uncertainty about the future, as uncertainty accentuates the ambiguity inherent in HRM based change. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of the role of topmanagement and the possibilities for HRM during the period leading up to a PEB.

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doi.org/10.1177/0018726709349519, hdl.handle.net/1765/65982
Human Relations
Erasmus Research Institute of Management

Boselie, P., & Koene, B. (2010). Private equity and human resource management: 'Barbarians at the gate!' HR's wake-up call?. Human Relations, 63(9), 1297–1319. doi:10.1177/0018726709349519