Holistic ethnography: Studying the impact of multiple national identities on post-acquisition organizations

Ethnographic research in international business studies focuses mainly on small group case studies, ignoring other genres of ethnography and limiting its role. I argue, based on a study of BMW MINI, that holistic ethnography allows multiple perspectives on the organization, making it particularly useful for studying cross-border acquisitions. I analyze cross-cultural relationships in the organization, the interaction of manager and worker perspectives, and the expression of national identities within the firm as its culture is negotiated, allowing for greater understanding of the conflicts that, in its managers’ view, affected the integration of the acquired subsidiary.

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