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Realizing the potential of a multinational, multicultural organization: Lessons learned at Merck Serono
Author(s) -
Schnee Elmar
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
global business and organizational excellence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.227
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1932-2062
pISSN - 1932-2054
DOI - 10.1002/joe.20354
Subject(s) - multinational corporation , task (project management) , work (physics) , public relations , political science , management , business , law , engineering , economics , mechanical engineering
When Merck Serono—formed by the 2007 union of Merck KGaA of Germany and Serono of Switzerland—embarked on a mission to become a recognized leader in the pharmaceutical field, its leaders found that they had the task of forging a unified organizational culture as well. This article details the training, communications, and leadership issues that the company's managers encountered in crafting a cohesive, high‐performing structure that attracts and retains the people needed to develop innovative products that serve consumer needs. Among the key lessons learned: never underestimate the impact of culture, invest in understanding how work actually gets done, and do not be afraid to admit mistakes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.