Abstract
While organizational mergers may not yet be as commonplace in public enterprise as in private industry, they present similar challenges in terms of the complexities of seamlessly blending the multiple stakeholders involved. As a result, despite their often grandiose ambitions, mergers have not always met with unequivocal success. While the reasons involved can be as divergent as the agencies themselves, research has tended to implicate merger administrators for insufficient attention to organizational culture as a key explanatory factor. In an effort to more closely examine this potential linkage as it relates to public sector mergers, the case study described herein analyzes the role of organizational culture in the merger of two independent entities (a sheriff’s office and fire-rescue services) and describes techniques employed to enhance the compatibility of their unification. Through a combination of interviews with transition team members and analysis of relevant records, the merger process is explored from three theoretical perspectives—i.e., work-related identity, person–environment “fit” (individual–cultural alignment), and employer–employee reciprocity. Using this theoretical framework, insights are provided into the manner in which these two distinct workplace cultures have been organizationally integrated.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
These top five performers were Southwest Airlines, Wall-Mart, Tyson Foods, Circuit City, and Plenum Publishing (Cameron and Quinn, 1998: 5).
As will be noted later, however, each of these organizations differed somewhat in terms of the degree to which they embraced paramilitary features within their internal administrative structures.
The one country/two systems approach allows for the coexistence of a free market economy within the overarching control of a broader central government. For a more detailed explanation and a discussion of its implications see Koehn, 2001:97–121.
Of the remaining 15 members of the transition team, 1 had retired by the time this study was conducted, 9 were unavailable at the time of the interviews, and 5 declined to participate.
The fact that fire-rescue interviews outnumbered those conducted with law enforcement personnel in part reflects availability, but it is also noteworthy that since it was fire-rescue employees who were absorbed into the sheriff’s office, it was especially insightful to obtain their perspectives. Moreover, fire-rescue represented the majority (56%)of those on the transition team.
It should be noted, however, that everyone was not able to maintain “lateral movement,” and some were therefore offered positions that are lower on the organizational hierarchy than their previous status.
References
Ammons, D. N. (Ed.). 1995. Accountability for performance: Measurement and monitoring in local government. Washington, DC: International City/County Management Association.
Appelbaum, S. H., et. al. 2000. Anatomy of a merger: Behavior of organizational factors and processes throughout the pre–during–post-stages. Journal of Management Decision, 38(9): 649–684.
Benson, R. W. 2001. Changing police culture: The Sine Qua Non of reform. Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, 34: 681–690.
Bethel, S. M. 1990. Making a difference: Twelve qualities that make you a leader. New York: Putnam.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. 1984. Modern approaches to understanding and managing organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Burrell, W. D. 1998. Probation and public safety: Using performance measures to demonstrate public value. Corrections Management Quarterly, 2(3): 61–69.
Cable, D. M., & Parsons, C. K. 2001. Socialization tactics and person–organization fit. Personnel Psychology, 54(1): 1–23, Spring.
Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. 1998. Diagnosing and changing organizational culture. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Carroll, J. F. X., & White, W. L. 1982. Theory building: Integrating individual and environmental factors within an ecological framework. In Paine, W. S. (Ed.). Job stress and burnout. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Cartwright, S., & Cooper, C. L. 1993. The role of culture compatibility in successful organization. The Academy of Management Executive, 7(2): 57–69 (In Schraeder, M., & Self, D. R. Enhancing the success of merger and acquisitions: An organizational culture perspective. Journal of Management Decision, 41(5): 511).
Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. 1997. Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies. New York: Harper Business.
Compton, D., & Granito, J. (Eds.). 2002. Managing fire and rescue services. Washington, D.C.: International City/County Management Association.
County Commission 2003. Meeting Minutes (July 1).
Ederheimer, J. A. 2000. How one department improved deadly-force investigations through leadership models and business theories. The Police Chief: 22–32, October.
Epstein, P. D. 1984. Using performance measurement in local government: A guide to improving decisions, performance, and accountability. New York: Van Nostrand.
Fralicx, R. D., & Bolster, C. J. 1997. Preventing culture shock, Modern Healthcare, 11: 50, August (In Schraeder, M., & Self, D. R. Enhancing the success of merger and acquisitions: An organizational culture perspective. Journal of Management Decision, 41(5): 511).
Freiberg, K., & Freiberg, J. 1996. Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ crazy recipe for business and personal success. Austin, TX: Bard.
Garmire, B. L. (Ed.). 1982. Local government police management. Washington, D.C.: International City/County Management Association.
Gaseau, M., & Mandeville, M. 2005. New directions in community corrections: The move towards evidence-based practices. Corrections Connection, 1–8 (February 24).
Hoover, L. T. 1996. Translating total quality management from the private sector to policing. In Hoover, L. T. (Ed.). Quantifying quality in policing: 1–22. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.
Kirkpatrick, D. 1985. How to manage change effectively. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Koehn, P. H. 2001. One government, multiple systems: Hong Kong public administration in transition. Public Organization Review: A Global Journal, 1: 97–121.
Kotter, J. P. 1999. What leaders really do. Boston, MA: Harvard Business.
Kotter, J. P., & Heskett, J. L. 1992. Corporate culture and performance. New York: Free.
Levinson, H. 1976. Psychological man. (In Appelbaum, S. H., et. al. Anatomy of a merger: Behavior of organizational factors and processes throughout the pre–during–post-stages (Part 1). Journal of Management Decision (2000), 38(9): 649–661).
Levinson, R. B. 1999. Unit management in prisons and jails. Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association.
Makin, P., Cooper, C., & Cox, C. 1997. Psychological contracts, Executive Excellent 14(3): 13–14 (In Appelbaum, S. H. et. al. Anatomy of a merger: Behavior of organizational factors and processes throughout the pre–during–post-stages (Part 1). Journal of Management Decision (2000), 38(9): 649–661).
Marks, M. L. 1997. Consulting in mergers and acquisitions: Interventions spawned by recent trends. Journal of Organisational Change Management, 10(3): 267–279.
McMichael, A. J. 1978. Personality, behavioral, and situational modifiers of work stressors. In Cooper, C. L., & Payne, R. (Eds.). Stress at work. New York: Wiley.
Miller, L. S., & Hess, K. M. 2002. The police in the community: Strategies for the 21st Century. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Moxley, R. S. 1998. Hardships. In McCauley, C. D., Moxley, R. S., & Van Velsor, E. (Eds.). The center for creative leadership handbook of leadership development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks 2004. The 9/11 commission report: Final report of the national commission on terrorist attacks upon the United States. New York: Norton.
Oliver, W. M. 2000. Assessing the progress of community policing. In Community policing: Classical readings: 150–159. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Osborne, D., & Gaebler, T. 1992. Reinventing government: How the entrepreneurial spirit is transforming the public sector. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Peters, G. 2002. Government reorganization: Theory and practice. In Farazmand, A. (Ed.). Modern organizations: Theory and practice: 159–180 (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Praeger.
Rago, W. V. 1996. Struggles in transformation: A study in TQM, leadership, and organizational culture in a government agency. Public Administration Review: 227–234, May/June.
Schein, E. H. 1992. Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schraeder, M., & Self, D. R. 2003. Enhancing the success of merger and acquisitions: An organizational culture perspective. Journal of Management Decision, 41(5): 511–522.
Senna, J. J., & Siegel, L. J. 2002. Introduction to criminal justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Smith, A. F., & Kelly, T. 1997. Human capital in the digital economy. In Hesselbein, F., Goldsmith, M., & Beckhard, R. (Eds.). The organization of the future: 199–212. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Snyder, N. H., Dowd, J. J., & Houghton, D. M. 1994. Vision, values, and courage: Leadership for quality management. New York: Free.
Stinchcomb, J. B. 1998. Quality management in corrections: Implementation issues and potential policy implications. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 9: 123–139, Fall.
Stinchcomb, J. B. 2004. Police stress: Could organizational culture be the culprit?. Law Enforcement Executive Forum, 4(3): 151–163.
Stinchcomb, J. B., & McCampbell, S. W. 2004. From organizational management to inspirational leadership: Changing roles and training implications for newly-elected sheriffs. Sheriff, January/February: 18–21; 42–44.
Stinchcomb, J. B., McCampbell, S. B., & Layman, E. P. 2006. Future force—A guide to building the 21st century community corrections workplace. Washington, DC: National Institute of Corrections.
Trojanowicz, R., Kappeler, V. E., & Gaines, L. K. 2002. Community policing: A contemporary perspective. Cincinnati: Anderson.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stinchcomb, J.B., Ordaz, F. The Integration of Two “Brotherhoods” into One Organizational Culture: A Psycho-social Perspective on Merging Police and Fire Services. Public Organiz Rev 7, 143–161 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-006-0026-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-006-0026-8