Book excerpt: “The failure rate of mergers and acquisitions is unreasonable, unacceptable, and unnecessary,” say Claude S. Lineberry and J. Robert Carleton in this much-needed resource, which outlines their unique, proven, and practical process for increasing the success of mergers and acquisitions. Written for all those with a vested interest in the success of the deal—board of directors, executives, managers, employees, and shareholders—and based on years of research and real-world experience, Achieving Post-Merger Success is a down-to-earth guide that gives stakeholders the tools they need to Profile and assess corporate cultures Identify potential or actual culture clash barriers to a merger or acquisition Determine what to do to avoid, minimize, and resolve culture clash Plan for efficient and effective post-merger cultural integration of the two organizations