In 1998, Daimler-Benz A.G. and Chrysler Corporation joined forces in a “merger of equals.” Nine years later, the union was dissolved when Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm, took the struggling Chrysler division private. Daimler-Benz and Chrysler had expected to reap more than $1 billion in synergies by combining their companies; instead, its executives found themselves struggling to align clashing management styles, corporate cultures, and compensation policies. What actions could they have taken to better integrate the two companies?
Case ID: 080304
Supplemental Materials:
Teaching Note
Contact us by e-mail at Columbia CaseWorks or 212-853-8585.