One must wonder what the impact on productivity is in the months preceding a deal, when all the wild negotiations are widely publicized. Take for example the talks going on (or ending) in the airline business.

Seems to me this kind of merger roulette is likely a contributing factor to why employees lack sufficient loyalty to their employers these days. Employees in situations like this have no idea who their employer is going to be from one day to the next. It could change with the stroke of a pen. So, why sweat the productivity stuff? Tomorrow is another day.

My dad once told me loyal, productive employees were a pretty valuable asset in any organization. To work hard was a pretty cool thing. Hard work made people feel good. They bragged to one another about who worked the hardest that day.

Once the economy has some traction and employers lack leverage in the job pool, I would think loyalty and productivity would once again be valued. We’ll see.