| Value maximization is usually the primary goal of mergers and acquisitions, yet only 50% of all mergers or acquisitions are considered successful. One reason for the low success rate is the failure on the part of senior management to consider the ramifications of organizational culture (Grossman, 1999). The purpose of this study is to determine if there are differences in the employees' perception of the current and desired corporate culture of two organizations involved in a merger. The methodology employed in this research is a dual perspective descriptive study. The study utilized the Organizational Cultural Assessment Instrument (OCAI) developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999) to determine employee perception of pre-merger culture in the two organizations and the desired post-merger culture in a same industry acquisition. The results of the OCAI indicate that there was a difference in the two corporate cultures prior to the merger as perceived by the respective employees. The dominant organizational culture at Company A prior to the merger was the market culture. The dominant organizational culture in Company B at the time of the merger was the clan culture. The preferred corporate culture in the post-merger organization is one where the clan, adhocracy, and market cultures are equally represented and the hierarchy culture is clearly the least desired typology. |
