Organizational Culture and Multinacional Mergers: An Approach to the Case of Maersk Sealand

Abstract

Within the broad tradition of studies on corporate mergers in the field of
the sociology of organisations, the literature has paid special attention
to the influence of the organisational cultures and the national origin of
the companies involved in such processes. This study addresses the
acquisition of Sealand (US company) by Maersk (Danish company)
based on a case study of its terminal in Algeciras, Spain. The employees
of both companies underwent a complex integration process in the early
2000s. An inquiry into the factors that caused the culture shock they
experienced led to a review of their organisational and national cultures
and their impact on the post-merger process. The results suggest that
differences in organisation, management style and concept of industrial
relations hindered the integration of both groups.