Abstract
Since the early 1980s, mergers and acquisitions have been developing in Europe and worldwide. After the dramatic increase in the number of mergers and acquisitions in the second half of the 1980s, the 1990s leaves its mark by rapid cross-border connections and increased significant value of transactions. In 2000, the value of mergers and acquisitions reached more than 1000 billion dollars, half of which was carried out by European firms. Failure rate of mergers and acquisitions is relatively high, with around 50 % not reaching the desired objectives. The failure risks are intensified for cross-border operations where the organizational difficulties make the integration process more difficult. It is therefore, important to look more specifically at the organizational changes in mergers and acquisitions. Indeed, the comparison of the organizational structures of enterprises in different countries reveals many differences: there are centralized and decentralized, functional and matrix, formal and informal structures. We have to keep in mind that a change in organization is necessary for all mergers and acquisitions and we must consider the relationship between culture and structure.
