Lafarge's Merger

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Pages: 3

When Holcim Ltd and Lafarge S.A merged, their intentions and expectations for the company seemed to be clear and straightforward. However, due to the merging of the two companies there was an intense amount of culture clash that occurred on all levels of the organization in which neither of the companies expected, nor new how to handle. With that said, the company has been struggling to move forward and communicate effectively. While doing some research on other companies who merged and experienced culture clash, we found an article that contained a well-developed toolkit for managing the financial and operational aspects of a merger. These tools, developed by the most proficient acquires from companies that have had successful mergers, track results closely and hold executives accountable for hitting their targets on schedule. Using these tools, leaders can manage and measure the difficult tasks, as well as increase both control over outcomes and positive returns through cultural integration (Stafford & Miles, 2013). …show more content…
In this step the company will have to define the cultural objective in broad terms. (What is the culture you want to see emerge from the combination of the two organizations?) This all depends on where the mergers greatest values lie.
*This is a job for the chief executive and chairman. CEO has to be willing to sustain his or her commitment until the objective is realized. Involvement at the top is vital for this to work.
Next, they will need to diagnose the differences that matter. This will enable the company to identify and measure the differences among people, units, geographical regions and functions.
• Management interviews aimed at revealing managerial styles and