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Organisational Culture and Meaning After a Merger: Challenges Regarding Craft, Identity and Values in the Lab

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Organisational Culture and Meaning After a Merger: Challenges Regarding Craft, Identity and Values in the Lab Organisational Culture and Meaning after a Merger: Challenges regarding Craft, Identity and Values in the Lab Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour Henley Business School Oluyemisi F. Bolade-Ogunfodun November 2017 Declaration of Original Authorship Declaration I confirm that this is my own work and the use of all material from other sources has been properly and fully acknowledged. Oluyemisi F. Bolade-Ogunfodun ii Abstract This study is an ethnographic analysis of culture and meaning in a post-merger organisational context. It adopts the Geertzian notion of culture as the main conceptual framework which emphasises patterns of meaning and patterns of interaction (Geertz, 1973). In contrast to the dominant positivist epistemological approaches to mainstream organisational culture studies, this study takes an interpretivist approach. The focus is on less dominant perspectives (voices) in the post-merger organisation as a way to highlight and challenge assumptions about the nature and role of people within mechanisms underlying expressions of culture. The research questions address the nature and sources of meaning systems in a culturally diverse post-merger community and investigate responses to observed incongruences. Using an ethnographic case study methodology, post-merger cultural interactions are explored. A thematic approach is adopted for the analysis of data and main findings show the significance of the nature of creative knowledge work in the acquired population’s culture. Findings reveal how incongruence in meanings emerges from interactions between the craft culture and imposed organisational values underpinning the bureaucratic post-merger context. In addition, the study uncovers nuanced connections between craft identity, practice and the person as salient elements of the meaning system in the professionals’ community, incompatible with the more dominant market-driven ethics in the organisation. Findings also show the ethical challenges which emerge for the acquired team from the coexistence of incompatible meanings. The ethical challenges arise from the protective role played by the craft in preserving the acquired team’s meaning system against assimilation by the acquirer’s culture. These findings are relevant for studies on knowledge workers, cultural implications of strategic alliances and inform ethical concerns around incompatible values as described in Aristotelian virtue ethics theory. The cultural analysis is thus critically expanded and connected with concerns in the international business literature and relevant ethical debates. iii Dedication I remain forever thankful to God who makes all things beautiful in His time. iv Acknowledgements I would like to sincerely thank my supervisors, Dr Kleio Akrivou and Dr John Latsis for such an amazing experience on my PhD journey. You have been wonderful role models in living out the values of the academic profession and in remarkable ways you produce learning opportunities for me at every encounter with you. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience. Your thoroughness with supervising my research motivates me to strive to continuously improve. I am grateful to the excellent faculty at Henley Business School and the wider University of Reading for the many opportunities for me to develop as a researcher and academic. A special thank you goes to Dr Evelyn Fenton for her kind support since the beginning of this journey. My deepest thanks and appreciation goes to my husband, Bolade. Thank you, Sweetheart, for being a constant companion, supporter, encourager and ardent fan. I am most grateful. To my darling son, Demilade, who bore with grace the many hours of sharing Mummy with her ‘work’, I say thank you. To my dear parents, Prof T.O. Adewoye and Dr (Mrs) E.O. Adewoye, I say thank you for giving me such a solid foundation to build upon. I appreciate all my extended family members for their love and prayers. I appreciate my good friend, Dr Christson Adedoyin for being a steadfast source of support and encouragement throughout the programme. You have been such a blessing. Many thanks to all my friends at home and abroad for all their support as well, Mrs Omolara Awe, Mrs Chika Amaku, Mrs Antoinette Ackuaku, Dr Obioma Uchendu, Mr Opeyemi Oduwole, members of RCCG Bracknell VA and many others whom I may not have mentioned here. Your encouragement along the journey is invaluable. My sister- friend, Mrs Ayobola Chike-Michael deserves special mention. Thank you for the many, many hours of listening, sharing or simply being there. You are the best. You have all been so supportive. Many, many thanks. v Table of Contents Declaration of Original Authorship ............................................................................................... ii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ iii Dedication .................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. xi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xi List of Abbreviations..................................................................................................................... xi Statement of Co-authorship. ...................................................................................................... xii 1. CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Conceptual issues surrounding studies on organisational culture ............................... 1 1.3 Contextual background for the study: Mergers and Acquisitions ................................ 3 1.3.1 Importance of Context and Theoretical Framework for the Study ....................... 4 1.4 The research gap and purpose of the research ............................................................ 5 1.5 Research Method .......................................................................................................... 8 1.6 Aims and Objectives of the study.................................................................................. 9 1.7 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 9 1.8 Organisation and outline of thesis .............................................................................. 10 2 CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 12 2.1 Introduction: conceptual issues in the study of culture ............................................. 12 2.2 A review of the Management literature on key areas relevant to the study. ............ 13 2.2.1 The Management literature on organisational culture ...................................... 14 2.2.2 The Management literature on Knowledge workers .......................................... 19 2.2.3 An ontology of practice as relevant for understanding knowledge work ........... 22 2.2.4 The Management literature on mergers and acquisitions ................................. 24 2.3 Perspectives on organizational culture drawn from the Socio-Political Literature .... 28 2.3.1 Origins of culture ................................................................................................. 31 2.3.2 The broad limits of culture .................................................................................. 38 2.3.3 Dynamics of interaction between groups in a culture ........................................ 45 2.4 Anthropological perspectives informing the understanding of organisational culture. 51 vi 2.4.1 History of thought on culture in the Anthropological literature ........................ 51 2.4.2 Patterns of Social Interaction .............................................................................. 54 2.4.3 Processes in Social Interaction and Culture ........................................................ 55 2.4.4 Structural Patterns - Culture as a picture of how society is related ................... 58 2.4.5 Patterns of Meaning - Symbolism ....................................................................... 59 2.4.6 Contributions of Strauss and Geertz to ideas of Symbols and Myths ................. 62 2.4.7 Relationship between Patterns of Interaction and Patterns of Meaning ........... 64 2.4.8 An Anthropological Perspective on Cultural Conflict .......................................... 65 2.4.9 Kinship and Social Relations ................................................................................ 67 2.5 Critiques on anthropological perspectives on culture ................................................ 71 2.6 Summary of the review of relevant literatures ........................................................... 75 2.7 Relating
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