Bridging Cultural Differences Using Communication for Knowledge Retention in the Cross-Border Mergers of the Telecommunications Industry of Lesotho.

This article has been extracted from the first author's PhD thesis which investigated how knowledge retention may be enhanced in the context of crossborder mergers and acquisitions. This study investigated different ways of retaining knowledge in the cross-border mergers in the telecommunications industry of Lesotho. This multimethod study triangulated quantitative data collected from seven former employees and 14 staff members of the merged (resultant organisation) Econet Telecom Lesotho by using questionnaires and selecting senior staff members purposively through interviews. The results of the study revealed that there were visible cultural differences between the two organisations. These cultural differences were noticeable even at the managerial level. The findings also pointed to the fact that these cultural variations tended to impede knowledge retention among staff members. This study therefore proposes a framework that can be used to bridge organisational cultural differences using communication to promote knowledge retention in the context of cross-border mergers, not only in the telecommunications industry of Lesotho, but across all industries in the region and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]