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Cultural Awareness and National versus Corporate Barriers to Acculturation

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Cultural Dimensions of International Mergers and Acquisitions
This chapter is in the book Cultural Dimensions of International Mergers and Acquisitions
Cultural Awareness and National versus Corporate Barriers to Acculturation* By Rikard Larsson and Anette Risberg High failure and disappointment rates in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are often attributed to negative employee reactions by organizational re-searchers and practitioners (e.g. Blake and Mouton 1985; Buono and Bow-ditch 1989; Marks and Mirvis 1986; Napier 1989; Owen 1986; Pritchett 1985). These problems concerning the human side of M&A are, in turn, viewed mostly in terms of cultural clashes and acculturation between the firms being joined together (e.g. Altendorf 1986; Buono et al. 1985; Naha-vandi and Malekzadeh 1988; Sales and Mirvis 1984; Very et al. 1996; Walter 1985). It is suggested that culture clashes arise from differences between the joining organizational cultures (e.g. Marks 1982; Siehl et al. 1988). Conse-quently, finding similar organizational cultures, management styles and so on has become a common panacea for avoiding employee dysfunctions that might undermine M&A performance (Bradley and Korn 1981; Chatterjee et al. 1992; Datta 1991; Davis 1968). In other words, cultural similarity is emphasized as another strategic variable for the choice of combination part-ner/target in addition to more traditional variables like various synergy po-tentials (cf. Chatterjee 1986; Lubatkin 1983; Salter and Weinhold 1981; Shelton 1988). It is remarkable that with very few exceptions (e.g. Very et al. 1993; Very et al. 1996), cultural M&A research has been limited to domestic combinations only. Culture clashes in international M&A still remain largely under-investigated, in spite of the interesting fact that they are cross-cultural not only at the organizational level but also at the societal level. International management has long emphasized the significance of cross-cultural problems of interaction between firms and people of different nationalities in such areas as cross-cultural communication (Adler and Doktor 1986; Black 1991). Culture clashes ought to be highlighted in M&A when they occur at both the corporate and societal levels. Unfortunately, by neglecting such obvious but time-consuming research opportunities into in-ternational M&A, scholars seem to be in as much of a hurry when studying

Cultural Awareness and National versus Corporate Barriers to Acculturation* By Rikard Larsson and Anette Risberg High failure and disappointment rates in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are often attributed to negative employee reactions by organizational re-searchers and practitioners (e.g. Blake and Mouton 1985; Buono and Bow-ditch 1989; Marks and Mirvis 1986; Napier 1989; Owen 1986; Pritchett 1985). These problems concerning the human side of M&A are, in turn, viewed mostly in terms of cultural clashes and acculturation between the firms being joined together (e.g. Altendorf 1986; Buono et al. 1985; Naha-vandi and Malekzadeh 1988; Sales and Mirvis 1984; Very et al. 1996; Walter 1985). It is suggested that culture clashes arise from differences between the joining organizational cultures (e.g. Marks 1982; Siehl et al. 1988). Conse-quently, finding similar organizational cultures, management styles and so on has become a common panacea for avoiding employee dysfunctions that might undermine M&A performance (Bradley and Korn 1981; Chatterjee et al. 1992; Datta 1991; Davis 1968). In other words, cultural similarity is emphasized as another strategic variable for the choice of combination part-ner/target in addition to more traditional variables like various synergy po-tentials (cf. Chatterjee 1986; Lubatkin 1983; Salter and Weinhold 1981; Shelton 1988). It is remarkable that with very few exceptions (e.g. Very et al. 1993; Very et al. 1996), cultural M&A research has been limited to domestic combinations only. Culture clashes in international M&A still remain largely under-investigated, in spite of the interesting fact that they are cross-cultural not only at the organizational level but also at the societal level. International management has long emphasized the significance of cross-cultural problems of interaction between firms and people of different nationalities in such areas as cross-cultural communication (Adler and Doktor 1986; Black 1991). Culture clashes ought to be highlighted in M&A when they occur at both the corporate and societal levels. Unfortunately, by neglecting such obvious but time-consuming research opportunities into in-ternational M&A, scholars seem to be in as much of a hurry when studying

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Acknowledgments v
  3. Table of Contents vii
  4. Overview of the Book 1
  5. International Mergers and Acquisitions: The Issues and Challenges 5
  6. Different Approaches to the Understanding of Culture in Mergers and Acquisitions 17
  7. Cultural Awareness and National versus Corporate Barriers to Acculturation 39
  8. Managing Cultural Differences in Cross-cultural Mergers and Acquisitions 57
  9. A Cross-national Assessment of Acculturative Stress in Recent European Mergers 85
  10. Leadership and Culture in Transnational Strategic Alliances 111
  11. Hungarian Culture and Management Issues within Foreign-owned Hungarian Production Companies 129
  12. A Quest for Social Identity — The Pragmatics of Communication in Mergers and Acquisitions 147
  13. Foreign Acquisitions in Denmark: Cultural and Communicative Dimensions 167
  14. List Of Contributors 197
  15. Index 199
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110808797.39

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Acknowledgments v
  3. Table of Contents vii
  4. Overview of the Book 1
  5. International Mergers and Acquisitions: The Issues and Challenges 5
  6. Different Approaches to the Understanding of Culture in Mergers and Acquisitions 17
  7. Cultural Awareness and National versus Corporate Barriers to Acculturation 39
  8. Managing Cultural Differences in Cross-cultural Mergers and Acquisitions 57
  9. A Cross-national Assessment of Acculturative Stress in Recent European Mergers 85
  10. Leadership and Culture in Transnational Strategic Alliances 111
  11. Hungarian Culture and Management Issues within Foreign-owned Hungarian Production Companies 129
  12. A Quest for Social Identity — The Pragmatics of Communication in Mergers and Acquisitions 147
  13. Foreign Acquisitions in Denmark: Cultural and Communicative Dimensions 167
  14. List Of Contributors 197
  15. Index 199
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