Cross-cultural and Change Management in Post-merger Integration

Date:  September 9-13, 2013 (5 days)

Location:  Carnegie Bosch Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Fee: $6,300

Companies sending three or more participants, organizations with few than 500 employees, non-profits, and the government sector receive a 10% discount.

For questions, please contact the program coordinator at +1-412-268-7344 or cbi@andrew.cmu.edu.

Overview

Mergers and acquisitions play a key role in multinational companies’ growth and globalization strategies. However, a high percentage of M&A initiatives end up failing, often due to shortfalls in the management of the people dimension of the post-merger integration (PMI) process. These situations are particularly challenging when they cross borders and include complex reorganizations.

This highly interactive program strengthens the competencies of business leaders, managers, and members of M&A teams. The program places particular emphasis on the human element of the PMI process, especially in international business environments and cross-cultural settings. Participants leave with a virtual toolbox, designed to be an immediately actionable resource for any PMI or change management project.

Participants come away from this five-day program with the knowledge and enhanced competencies to more effectively manage PMI initiatives in cross-cultural settings and complex business environments. The program places particular emphasis on the human element of change management in pre- and post-merger integration processes.

Curriculum

Seminar topics include:

• Effectively managing national and organizational cultural differences in PMI
• Cross-cultural and change management models and leadership
• Change management simulation
• Informal networks and managing beyond hierarchy
• Communication strategies in PMI
• PMI leadership case with peer-to-peer feedback

Example sessions include:

• Cross-Cultural Management – Dr. James Stück discusses differences among cultures. Learning why “culture is frozen history” will allow you to understand the origins of cultural differences and how to apply this knowledge to increase competitive advantage and day-to-day leadership ability. Along with engaging lectures, Dr. Stück incorporates group exercises, self-assessments, and role play.
• Culture & Change Management: How to Create a New Company Culture – Dr. Rüdiger Müngersdorff shows you how to undertake one of the most important leadership tasks in the PMI process, that of influencing the common culture of the new company by consciously constructing a new cultural frame of orientation.
• Informal Networks and Managing Beyond Hierarchy – Backed by extensive research, Dr. David Krackhardt discusses the role and importance of advice, friendship, and trust networks. Through case studies and group work, in addition to lecture, you will learn how to define, understand, and maximize your networks.

Participants

Cross-Cultural and Change Management in Post-Merger Integration is designed for executives, managers, and team members with responsibility for M&A or PMI processes. The program will be of particular interest to those who want to improve leadership skills, knowledge, and effectiveness in the ever-changing business environment of international settings.

Recommended participants include:

• PMI managers and project team leaders
• Members of M&A and integration teams from the affected business units and from the functional areas of human resources, corporate strategy, business development, finance, tax, legal, and corporate communications
• Chief Executive Officers, General Managers

Faculty

Cross-Cultural and Change Management in Post-Merger Integration brings together leading faculty with expertise in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and change management.

David Krackhardt
Professor of Organizational and Public Policy, Heinz College and Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Krackhardt's research focuses on how the theoretical insights and methodological innovations of network analysis can enhance our understanding of how organizations function. He pioneered the concept of “cognitive social structures.” His published works have appeared in journals in the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and management.

Rüdiger Müngersdorff
Partner, SYNNECTA

Dr. Müngersdorff is co-founder of SYNNECTA, an international organizational development and management consultancy.
Dr. Müngersdorff is an expert in cultural and organizational development, as well as complex change management projects. He earned his PhD in philosophy, comparative religion, and art history; he is a teaching therapist in family therapy and group
psychotherapy.

James Stück
Director, Global Associates; Associate Professor of Management and International Business, Valparaiso University

For more than 20 years, Dr. Stück has been a cross-cultural management consultant with Global Associates. He has managed international teams for over a decade in South America, Europe, and Asia; worked for six years on Wall Street; and was an association for eight years with ITIM BV, an international cross-cultural management firm based out of The Hague, Netherlands. Dr. Stück has taught executive-level courses at Accenture, Rockwell, and McDonald's.