Achieving Successful Organizational Transformation

by Irving R. Burling, David A. Whitsett

Overview

This book tells how two successful financial services companies, Century Companies of America and CUNA Mutual Insurance, met the challenges of a changing marketplace by tranforming themselves through joining forces. Cowritten by Century Companies' CEO, the book describes how the boards and executives of the two companies reached the conclusion that affiliation with another company was the best strategy, how they selected each other as partners, how they accomplished the integration of the two organizations, the challenges they faced in doing so, and the lessons learned in the process. Human issues, not technical ones, were the most important in determining the success of organizational transformation, as were the early identification of cultural differences and the development of strategies to integrate those differences.

The tumultuous changes that took place in the financial services industry in the early 1980s caused both companies to realize that they needed to undertake substantially different strategies than they had previously utilized. Cowritten by Century Companies' CEO, the book describes how the boards and executives of the two companies reached the conclusion that affiliation with another company was the best strategy, how they selected each other as partners, how they accomplished the integration of the two organizations, the challenges they faced in doing so, and the lessons learned in the process.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781567200263
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/25/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

DAVID A. WHITSETT is Professor of Psychology at the University of Northern Iowa. His previous books include From Management Theory to Business Sense and Scenarios of Change (Praeger, 1989).

IRVING R. BURLING is the recently retired president and chief executive officer of Century Companies of America.

Table of Contents

An Overview
Human Issues in Organizational Change
Company Histories and Pre-Affiliation Cultures
Structural Change in the Industry
Origins of the Affiliation
The Evolution of the Affiliation
Forms of Integration in the Affiliation
Continuing Integration
Lessons Learned
Index

Editorial Reviews

Describes the genesis and ramifications of an unusual relationship between two financial service companies, focusing on the human and psychological aspects of the undertaking but also providing technical information. In 1990 CUNA Mutual Insurance Society and Century Companies of America entered into permanent affiliation, which is more than a joint venture or strategic alliance, but less than a merger or acquisition. The story is drawn from interviews with the players and company records from 1988 to 1995. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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