There have been a number of attempts to explain post-merger problems by
cultural differences, and in this paper, we argue that much previous research on
mergers is based on an essentialist concept of culture. We claim that this
conception is a problematic starting point for cultural studies, and argue for a
social constructionist alternative. The conceptual challenges we address are:
decontextualization of cultural issues, cultural differentiation and
fragmentation, and structural versus processual views on culture. We also
outline an agenda for future merger research and argue for studies focusing on
cultural sensemaking processes in merging organizations by adopting narrative
perspectives.
Key words: merger, culture, organizational change, integration, social
constructionism, narrative.