Employee Challenges and Their Impact on Organizational Culture During Acquisitions in Midlevel Beverage Distributors in the Cental United States
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Authors
Sandoval, Tomas
Issue Date
2026
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
organizational culture , mergers and acquisitions , beverage distributor
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore how mergers and acquisitions (M&As) impact organizational culture and performance. The study focused on a midlevel beverage distribution company located in the central United States. An acquisition brings two different cultures together and can lead to operational inefficiencies. The culture clash at this company raised the question of how employees experienced the transition, creating a need for this study because there has been limited research focused on midlevel beverage distributors located in the central United States. Organizational culture is an important factor in the success or failure of M&As, as integrating cultures between two organizations can lead to operational disruptions, decreased morale, and resistance to change. In this study, interest was placed on the employees and how the acquisition affected organizational practices, leadership styles, and resulting performance. The data collection process included 15 face-to-face semistructured interviews. Additional sources of data used in the study consisted of organizational documents and a reflective research journal. Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings of this study supported recommendations for midlevel acquiring organizations to manage cultural issues, improve process integration, and achieve organizational effectiveness. The recommendations included improving communication and training processes and increasing the visibility of leaders during acquisitions. Future research should examine different leadership styles for distributors of different sizes, the geographic presence of the distributor and the cultural influence it presents, and how identity and belonging can shift with employees during the transition periods of the acquisition.