Conceptualising Leadership in theContext of Mergers:

Merging Cultural Leadership andOrganisational Culture Theory

Angus Blair

Department of Management and International BusinessUniversity of AucklandA dissertation submitted in partial completion of BCom Hons November 2008

For all the cultural heroes of Tech Pacific New Zealand



iii

Abstract

Despitecompellingevidencethatmergersfailtomeettheexpectationsofbothorganisationsandemployees,mergeractivitycontinuestorise.Thesefailuresareoftenattributedtoaclashoforganisationalcultures,withthemajorityofcorporationscitingitastheirtopchallenge.Onexaminingtheliterature,itbecomesapparentthatthereislittleinthewayofpragmatic,theory‐basedadvicefororganisationsregardinghowtoconstructivelyintegratemergingcultures.Guidedbythisneed,thisdissertationseekstoconceptualiseculturalleadershipprocessesinthecontextofmergers.Todothis,ititselfseekstomergetworelated,yetsurprisinglydiverse,bodiesofliterature.Thefirstbodyofliteraturelooksatwhatattentionhasbeengiventotheintersectionofleadershipandculture.Thesecondisanexaminationofthemergerandorganisationalculturetheories.Fromthismergeroffields,itsuggeststhattoincreasetheeffectivenessofculturalleadership,werequireamoreholisticunderstandingofthecomplexitiesoforganisationalculture.Finally,itshowsthatdespitetheseweaknesses,organisationshavemuchtogainfrommoreeffectiveculturalleadershipandthatthisisparticularlysalientintimesofcrisis,suchasamerger.Theimplicationsofthisfororganisationsandfutureresearcharediscussed.