Leadership and execution are twice as important as strategy when it comes to successful merger integration, according to a global study of major M&A deal makers
Leadership and execution are twice as important as strategy when it comes to successful merger integration, according to a global study of major M&A dealmakers. A firm hand on the tiller and a well-defined team led from the front are significantly more important than the merger rationale to capture synergies, said Simon Mezger, VP of AT Kearney Australia, which conducted the study. “There’s an implication that the more mergers you undertake, the more first-hand knowledge you gain about the critical role of leadership to navigate the merging organisations in a period of uncertainty. The best strategy will fall apart without the right implementation,” he said.
Australia ahead of UK on fight against pregnancy discrimination
Australia is ahead of the game compared to the UK when it comes to workplace discrimination during pregnancy, according to recruitment firm PKL, with trends suggesting that it is a decreasing issue for many employees across Australia. In the UK, a five-year forecast from the Equal Opportunities Commission in 2005 detailed an expected increase in discrimination in the workplace against pregnancy, should current trends continue and nothing be done to rectify the situation. However various independent studies in Australia show that the workforce does not believe workplace bullying and discrimination against pregnancy to be a serious ongoing or increasing problem.
Counselling could do more harm than good
Professional counselling and debriefing after a tragedy or life-threatening accident may actually create additional psychological problems, a mental health expert has warned. John Pead of the Australian Centre for Post-traumatic Mental Health said employers should consider alternatives to routine counselling following a workplace death or near miss. “The traditional debriefing following traumatic events is ineffective and possibly harmful,” he said. “It has the potential of creating sick role expectations that only add to the likelihood that someone will develop a psychiatric condition. After a traumatic event, up to 80 per cent of people will recover on their own with the support of their family and workplace.”
