Organizational learning and temporality during post-merger integration process : CASE NordicSteelCo

Abstract

This study researches the post-merger integration process and its impact on organizational learning at NordicSteelCo, a decade after the formal and contractual merger event. The research focuses on how the merged organization leverages intra-organizational technologies and accesses temporal categories via temporal distortions to access, appropriate, and implement knowledge into organizational practices. The key findings highlight that long-term post-merger integration processes are systematically approached through shared premises that are facilitated by technologies, formal education and training, and continuous learning. This research identifies that temporal distortions affect organizational learning mechanisms

with organizational members being able to appropriate knowledge differently based on their temporal orientation. The organization learns via ‘learning-by-doing’ mechanism, which is supported by structured information systems that facilitate knowledge transformation and appropriation into organizational practices. Despite the formal, contractual merger event occurring a decade ago, the integration process remains observable. This prolonged integration challenges existing theories on speed and success of post-merger integration and suggests the need for further research to develop understanding of integration time-horizons and outcome definitions of merger success.

This study contributes to theoretical understanding of temporal complexities in mergers and the role of continuous improvement loops in organizational learning context. Another key finding of this research implicates that organizations can facilitate learning by shared premises and collaboration in problem-solving and knowledge sharing, which contributes to adjustments and promotes learning on a broader organizational level.