Cultural Synergy occurs when there are there are different cultures that are working together to create one group. For instance, a company merger is an example of cultural synergy. If there are two companies that are going to form together as one, two different cultures or perspectives of different cultures have to work together in order to meet the common goal of the new company.
This can be a difficult task because all companies do things in a different way. There are a number of things that will come into question with a company merger. First there is the risk of layoffs for the employees because with combining the two companies, there may not be a need for both staffs. Therefore, there is the decision of which employees to keep. Another issue is handling the business in general. While one company may have had a certain way of doing business the other the company may have handled things much different. Hence, there could be a lot of conflict within the organization.
Another issue is how the company merger is perceived by its clients. Because, once again, they may be used to a certain way of the business being handled and now they have to deal with changes. And let’s face it, no one really likes changes or wants to adjust to them. Having said this, there is a lot to think about when dealing with a company merger.
However, with cooperation and proper communication, the two companies can work together to form one organization and make it work. Although, there will be a number of different cultures amongst the two companies, by working together for the common goal it can work. Teamwork is what will make the merger work; it is in fact what synergy is all about.
Robert Charles Weidamoyer says
While synergy would be ideal when two companies merge, ultimately it’s potential can be an unrecoverable loss if jobs are eliminated in the process, or people are moved into new, undesirable positions. I have worked for several employers that underwent mergers, acquisitions and even downsizing, all in the name of progress and synergy amongst the best both companies had to offer. Unfortunately, that best were subjective choices made by those in charge that kept or promoted their favorites or, in one case, contributed to one of the most obscene instances of nepotism I had ever observed. Synergy is difficult to expect in situations that are the result of negative circumstances. Maybe an economic upswing could change a lot of things!