U N D E R S TA N D T H E C U L T U R A L D I F F E R E N C E S 10
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Telecoms and software companies often have very different employee and business cultures.
Before a potential acquisition, a software company should try to clearly define what its culture is, what parts of that culture makes it successful, and how it can best maintain those parts after an integration. That process can be used as a starting point for a negotiation with the telecoms company about how best to merge the two cultures. One possible way of achieving this is by setting a list of targets or integration goals, identifying key strengths, as well as similarities and differences, and making joint decisions on how to integrate the two business cultures without losing the best qualities of each. Being realistic is important, so a good starting point could be joint discussion about what parts of existing cultures you are willing to cut, what you will look to keep, and what you will want to create. The latter category could include initiatives to boost shared cultural values.
The classic Mark Zuckerberg maxim of “move fast and break things” rarely works well within a telecoms company. Software companies need to make sure they are prepared for the cultural changes that will almost invariably take place post-merger. At the same time, they should ensure that their unique aspects that foster innovation and enable fast growth are not lost. If you are an R&D-intensive company, it may be a good idea to ensure that you will be integrated as a separate department with clear goals and deliverables. This approach will likely be met with approval from the other side of the negotiation table. Telecoms are acutely aware of the cultural differences and do not want to lose your innovative spirit, so will often be interested in finding ways to maintain it post merger.
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