Strategic Alliances, Mergers And Acquisitions
The Influence of Culture on Successful Cooperation
‘Organizational flirts and marriages – alliances, mergers and acquisitions – are
dramatic examples of how soft cultures can produce hard facts of success or failure.
Decisions born from human vanity can lead to destruction of human capital. The chapters
selected by Ulijn, Duysters and Meijer illustrate the many facets of organizational family
life for the scholar and, hopefully, for the decision-maker who considers another move.’
– Geert Hofstede, author of Culture’s Consequences
This unique book focuses on the link between different types of culture
(national, corporate, professional) and the success of strategic alliances, mergers and
acquisitions.
Over the past decades we have seen a significant increase in the number of
strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions. Despite this proliferation many recent
studies have reported high failure rates. This failure is often attributed to cultural
differences between partners, which has led to a growing body of literature on the
subject. To date, most of these studies have focused on national and corporate culture,
whereas this book also places particular emphasis on the importance of culture at the
professional level. The authors clearly show that all three levels of culture may have a
profound impact upon the ultimate success or failure of alliances, mergers and
acquisitions.
Researchers in the field of international business, strategic management, and strategic
alliances, mergers and acquisitions will find this book to be of invaluable interest.
Managers in multinational corporations and international business students should also not
be without this important resource.
Edited by Jan Ulijn, Professor of International Entrepreneurship,
Innovation and Culture, Open University and Emeritus Jean Monnet Chair, Eindhoven
University of Technology, the Netherlands, Geert Duysters, Professor of Innovation
Management, Eindhoven University of Technology, Tilburg University and UNU-MERIT, the
Netherlands and Elise Meijer, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Contents:
Preface
Cary L. Cooper
Culture, Strategic Alliances and Mergers and Acquisitions: An Introduction
Elise Meijer, Geert Duysters and Jan Ulijn
1. Strategic Alliances and Culture in a Globalizing World
Rajesh Kumar and T.K Das
2. Why do International Alliances Fail? Some Insights from Culture and Human
Social Biology
Gert Jan Hofstede
3. Creating a Supportive Culture for Corporate Entrepreneurship: Balancing
Creativity and Discipline for the Development of Radical Innovation by Inter-firm
Cooperation
Bob Walrave, Victor Gilsing and Michiel de Jager
4. Culture and its Perception in Strategic Alliances, Does it Affect the
Performance? An Exploratory Study into Dutch-German Ventures
Jan Ulijn, Geert Duysters and Jean-Marie Fevre
5. Cultural Differences and Homogeneity in Strategic Alliances: The Case of Trimo
Trebnje (Slovenia) and Trimo VSK (Russia)
Metka Tekavcic, Vlado Dimovski, Darja Peljhan and Miha Škerlavaj
6. Strategic Importance of Organisational Culture in the Context of Organisational
Growth through Acquisitions: The Case of the Helios Group
Nada Zupan and Robert Kaše
7. Cross-border Marriages: Dutch–Japanese and Dutch–American Combinations
Frits Grotenhuis
8. Managing Potential Conflicts in a European Banking Alliance in ICT: A Study of
Intro- and Mutual Perception Combined for a Better Cultural Fit
Jan Eppink, Jan Ulijn en Beatrice van der Heijden
9. Portrait of an Odd-eyed Cat: Cultural Crossing as a Trademark for a
Dutch–Thai Strategic Alliance
Nantawan Noi Kwanjai and Friso den Hertog
10. Resistance to the Transfer of Management Knowledge in International Ventures:
Steps Towards a Pathologic Interpretation
Gerard Fink and Nigel J. Holden
304 pages, Hardcover
