Joining Forces: Making One Plus One Equal Three in Mergers, Acquisitions, and Alliances

Chapter IX. Building the New Organization and Culture

Recall the image of former President George W. Bush atop an aircraft carrier claiming victory in the Iraq conflict. Of course, troops in the war zone knew otherwise and, eventually, so did the populace back in the United States. Similarly, employees on the front lines of two organizations combining are apt to shake their heads in disbelief when they hear executives prematurely claim that "the merger is over." They conclude either that their leaders are out of touch or, worse yet, putting up a false front for the media or anxious investors; either way employees' confidence in the combination and their own futures is called into question. Ultimately, this unease seeps into conversations with ...