When cultures collide
13 September 2012
US businesses are learning that great strategies can fail if they don’t take account of a company’s ethos. Liz Simpson reports
When a major US supermarket chain decided to acquire its food wholesaler to ensure greater supply chain and logistics control, it seemed like a good idea. But the ensuing merger soon became a battle zone.
In retrospect, this corporate marriage was like asking a Californian hippy to cohabit with a West Point military academy drill sergeant. The retail side...