The power of storytelling when cultures merge

Abstract

This paper uses ideas of ‘organisational storytelling’ and three ‘domains’ to create the author's own stories about the role of organised communication in a major corporate merger. The author draws on his first‐hand experience as one of the two directors of internal communication in the UK's largest merger, between his company Grand Metropolitan plc (GrandMet) and Guinness plc that completed on 17th December, 1997; and, second, on 11 years of working as an external communication (PR) professional alongside corporate financiers in some high profile ‘deals’ of the 1980s, including the British Telecommunications privatisation (1984), and the vote of members and subsequent flotation of Abbey National (1989–90).

Citation

Harben, J. (1998), "The power of storytelling when cultures merge", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 80-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb023487