11. Management of Culture Clash

A recent survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reveals that the top obstacle to successful integration of two companies in M&A is cultural differences between the acquirer and the target companies. This item was cited by 83 percent of the executives that were part of this survey. Indeed, the graveyard of business is full of M&As that have foundered, in whole or in part, on the shoals of culture and integration, such as Daimler-Benz and Chrysler, AOL and Time Warner, AT&T, and NCR. Yet, culture clash can be successfully managed!

Based on the details from Chapter 6, “Culture and Cultural Differences Analysis,” you can estimate the level of cultural differences along various dimensions and at various areas. ...

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