Board members opt for mergers and acquisitions to create value. This M&A process aids in technology and product acquisition, gaining market accessibility and much more. Companies create economies of scale and establish their brand presence through M&A. So, mergers and acquisitions can be crucial for a company’s future growth. Having said this, M&A has also been a bane for many companies as they have devalued the merged businesses. In most cases, the main reason that has stood out is cultural clashes.
What are Mergers and Acquisitions?
M&A is the consolidation of businesses or the main assets of their businesses through business transactions. Apart from the merger process, this might occur by direct absorption, hostile takeover, or tender offer. M&A can be complicated and messy. A mergers and acquisitions consulting service can help in this process.
What is Culture?
Culture comprises long-lasting implicit values, beliefs as well as assumptions that are shared among the stakeholders of a business. These values and beliefs influence the behaviour, approach, and communication along with the overall meaning of the workplace. Culture is extremely resilient and the aspects that constitute culture are long-lasting. Culture being resilient is supported by its implicit values and beliefs. It is to be noted that fresh cultural values might not get inculcated into the fundamental beliefs and values of the people in the long run.
Cultural Effects and their Results
Participants in an M&A are motivated and driven in their lives through collective values and individual traits. Indian mergers and acquisitions are not just simple mathematical and rational calculations. Cultural effects create long-lasting positive and/ or negative impacts on the merged company. Some of the cultural effects and their results are as follows:
- Leadership & Decision-making: Leadership differs from person to person. It can be dictatorial or consultative, clear or diffusing. Decision-making style can also differ i.e., the approach of decision-making in some workplaces is top-down whereas in some cases it is bottom-up.
- Power-distance: There can be a high or a low degree of inequality between the higher-ups and the subordinates. Some companies are all for the hierarchical structure of power distribution. As a result, reporting is done to the administration or managers. On the other hand, in some organizations, you can see a much more decentralised system. So, everyone is involved in the decision-making process.
- Individualism vs. Collectivism: Individualism includes respect for employee’s privacy. Employees expect individual rewards for the work they are putting in. Collectivism is also found in some companies where people are engaged in work to get intrinsic satisfaction. The greater importance is given to the group’s well-being and the group’s objective.
- Uncertainty avoidance: Some workplaces are rigid and conservative. They do not like change and like to maintain the status quo. Stakeholders show their emotions (anger, anxiety) if needed. There will be unspoken rules that one has to be wary about. Some workplace cultures have a high tolerance towards uncertainty and change. They embrace transition, innovation as well as inclusivity. There is a reduced sense of urgency in these workplaces. Also, designations and titles do not matter in workplaces that have a low degree of uncertainty avoidance.
- Restraint & Indulgence: Workplaces that lean towards indulgence are more optimistic. They have freedom of speech and prioritise personal happiness. They also focus on feedback, encouraging different viewpoints and communication. Flexible working as well as work-life balance are important parts of an indulgent workplace. A restrained workplace will have pessimistic and more controlled behaviour. Criticism is also a part of a restrained workplace.
What Can be the Impact of Cultural Clashes Due to M&A?
Mergers and acquisitions in Gurgaon are common and it often lead to the resignation of many employees. Employees who are resistant to a change in leadership style may leave the organisation. This is particularly true for elite performers, who are typically the most mobile personnel. Losing top staff can reduce a combined company’s worth by reducing intellectual capital and market relationships. That is why taking the help of a provider of mergers and acquisitions services is imperative as they help in making the merging process easier. Therefore, the business processes get seamless and the turnaround time remains within expectations. The inability to adapt might hinder the process of starting a new business. Inconsistent cultural assumptions across legacy organisations can lead to breakdowns in procedures and handoffs. Employees may become annoyed by colleagues’ unwillingness to grasp or recognise proper work practices.
Conclusion
Mergers and acquisitions in Delhi NCR often take place with the help of a consulting company. Culture must be prioritised in initiatives to integrate firms since left alone, culture may stifle value growth. Efforts to address culture should be based on the understanding that culture is both powerful and implicit, that employees are unlikely to change their cultural beliefs in response to exhortations to adopt new cultural values, and that culture can be rigorously linked to behaviours that affect business value. The emphasis on commercial benefit rather than “soft stuff” is essential for presenting culture in a way that corporate leaders would agree to embrace. Culture may be an effective tool for achieving post-merger integration objectives by tying it to value creation and addressing particular behaviours as needed.
