In the first of our four-part series, we explore why culture is a strategic imperative in M&A. Often dismissed as a 'soft issue', culture is in fact a powerful force that shapes organisational behaviour, leadership alignment, and change readiness, making it a key determinant of deal success.
Culture in M&A
Part 4: A practical culture assessment tool to guide integration
Culture is not a soft issue – it is a strategic lever that must be assessed, managed, and revisited throughout the M&A lifecycle.
The final installment of the four-part Culture in M&A series shifts from strategy to practical application, introducing a simplified culture assessment tool designed to support integration. Jointly developed by Grant Thornton Singapore and ODE Consulting, this tool – grounded in Hofstede’s Culture in the Workplace™ model – helps dealmakers and integration teams translate abstract cultural concepts into measurable, actionable insights.
By mapping culture across Hofstede's six cultural dimensions that shape organisational behaviour, the tool serves as a practical diagnostic for pre-deal and post-deal phases. It offers a clear visual profile that enable integration teams to identify cultural gaps, similarities and potential friction points between the merging organisations. These insights can then be translated into integration actions such as leadership workshops, tailored communications and ongoing monitoring.
The Culture in M&A series is a collaboration by Grant Thornton Singapore and ODE Consulting.
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Roch Tay heads up the Deals Advisory practice in Grant Thornton Singapore. He has more than 25 years of experience in providing management, financial advisory and human resource consulting services to global and local corporations, as well as private equity houses. He is experienced in advising senior leaders on their organisation transformations, organisation culture re-alignments, people-related considerations in their acquisitions and divestitures, as well as their post-merger integrations strategy development, planning and execution.
Dr Kavita Sethi, co-author of this series, is the Principal Consultant of ODE Consulting® and Global Master Certifier for Culture In The Workplace™. With over 40 years experience, her areas of specialisation include strategy, leadership, cross culture and the design & implementation of competency frameworks. She has designed and facilitated learning, coaching and consulting solutions for large multinationals and local conglomerates.
Read more from the Culture in M&A series
Mergers and acquisitions
Culture in M&A: Part 1
Mergers and acquisitions
Culture in M&A: Part 2
In the second of our four-part series, we delve into the critical necessity of thoroughly assessing cultural compatibility from the early stages of the M&A lifecycle, commencing even before the deal’s finalisation.
Mergers and acquisitions
Culture in M&A: Part 3
In the third of our four-part series, we draw on proven frameworks and diagnostic tools like Hofstede’s Culture in the Workplace™ questionnaire, culture heatmaps, and pulse surveys, to track, measure, and course-correct cultural integration.