In this exploratory study we argue that achieving an effective employee mindset toward acquisition may be less a process of limiting acquisitions to firms with more similar cultures than it is an ability to manage cultural differences through cultural learning. This study is the first to systematically and empirically examine cultural learning interventions as they apply to the post-acquisition integration process. The longitudinal results from a field experiment across three pairs of matched plants indicate that cultural distance between employees from combining firms can be bridged during the early stages of the integration process. Deep-level cultural learning interventions were found to develop constructive employee perceptions and attitudes that are believed to enhance performance in acquisitions requiring human integration to achieve synergies.
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