"The failure rate of mergers and acquisitions is unreasonable, unacceptable, and unnecessary," say Claude S. Lineberry and J. Robert Carleton in this much-needed resource, which outlines their unique, proven, and practical process for increasing the success of mergers and acquisitions. Written for all those with a vested interest in the success of the deal-board of directors, executives, managers, employees, and shareholders-and based on years of research and real-world experience, Achieving Post-Merger Success is a down-to-earth guide that gives stakeholders the tools they need to

* Profile and assess corporate cultures

* Identify potential or actual culture clash barriers to a merger or acquisition

* Determine what to do to avoid, minimize, and resolve culture clash

* Plan for efficient and effective post-merger cultural integration of the two organizations



Table of Contents

List of Figures, Exhibits, and Worksheets

Acknowledgments.

Contents of the CD-ROM

Preface

Introduction

PART ONE: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Organizational Effectiveness.

1. Mergers, Acquisitions, and Organizational Culture.

The M&A Report Card.

M&A Failure Costs

Why Mergers and Acquisitions Really Fail.

Organizational Culture and Culture Clash.

A Case Study in Managing Culture-British Airways.

The Prevailing Wisdom Is Wrong.

Culture as the Culprit.

Defining Organizational Culture.

Culture and Performance-The Hard Data.

National Versus Organizational Culture.

2. The Organization as a System.

System Awareness.

The Individual as a Performance System.

Winning the Battle While Losing the War.

Cross-Functional Teamwork.

Management and the System.

Synthesis Before Analysis.

Culture Is Not a System Component.

3. Organizational System Alignment.

A Systemic Approach.

Getting the Balance Right.

An Organizational System Model.

Checking the Vital Signs.

PART TWO: Cultural Due Diligence and Assessment.

4. Overview of Cultural Due Diligence.

Cultural Due Diligence.

The Case for Cultural Due Diligence.

Off-the-Shelf vs. Customized Cultural Assessment.

Characteristics of a Customized CDD Model.

CDD Deliverables.

Due Diligence and Legal Restrictions.

Pre Letter of Intent/Acceptance Activities.

Assessing Degree of Difficulty of Cultural Integration.

Getting It Right-The Hewlett-Packard/Compaq Merger.

5. Performing Cultural Due Diligence

The CDD Process.

Cultural Assessment.

Drafting the Cultural Alignment and Integration Plan.

PART THREE: Cultural Alignment and Integration.

6. Aligning and Integrating the Executive Group.

Planning Cultural Alignment and Integration.

Aligning the Organization.

Discussing Results and Recommendations with CEO.

Aligning and Integrating the Executive Group.

Issues-Based Team Building for the New Executive Team.

7. Aligning the Management Group.

Gaining Clarity on Organizational Direction.

Values and Practices.

Gaining Agreement on Values and Practices.

Communicating the Session Results.

Tiger Teams.

Feedback-Based Management Planning Sessions.

Developmental Streams.

Individual Action Plans.

Follow-Up Sessions.

8. Aligning the Total Organization.

Design and Activities for All-Staff Sessions.

The Case for Change.

Work-Process Re-Engineering Sessions.

9. Cultural Integration Success Measures.

Financial Success Measures.

Cultural Integration Success Measures.

10. Summary and Conclusion.

APPENDICES.

Appendix A: The British Airways Transformation: A Systemic Approach.

Appendix B: Organizational Alignment Model: A Reading.

Appendix C: Organizational System Scan Model: An Overview.

Appendix D: Organizational Scan: Sample Probes.

Appendix E: Sample Values and Practices.

Appendix F: Sample Manager 360-Degree Feedback Report: For A. Manager in XYZ Corporation.

Appendix G: Sample Manager's Action Planning Guide.

Appendix H: Staff Involvement Day: Sample Agenda and Materials.

Glossary.

References.

Index.

About the Authors

How to Use the CD-ROM