Abstract
It is largely claimed that a large part of mergers and acquisitions fails. The reasons for these failures are numerous, but one of the most important ones, is the difficulty to deal with different management and organizational cultures. It is explained in the case study about Danone, when it acquired Bolshevik, a Russian biscuit manufacturer in 1994, they were faced with these difficulties. Indeed, Bolshevik was deeply marked by the communist environment in which it was developed and had therefore an organizational culture considerably different from the Western Danone's one. So, throughout this essay, we will try to determine how the 'Danonizing' process of the Bolshevik biscuit factory occurred. In order to do that, it is relevant to start with a description of the two companies and the takeover process. Then, we will analyse the differences between the two firms, namely, by characterizing the Russian national culture and the Bolshevik organizational one. Finally, we will present in the perspectives part, the problems and strategic elements which Danone faced.
