As part of a long-term partnership between Kyiv-Mohyla Business School and Institut Magellan (France), Marina Starodubskaya conducted the course "How National & Corporate Culture Influences M&A Success" for participants of the MBA International in HR Management program.

The integration of companies after mergers or acquisitions (M&A) remains one of the most challenging issues in contemporary management. Despite the financial viability of such deals, statistics from leading consulting groups (McKinsey, KPMG, Bain & Company) indicate that between 60% to 90% of these processes fail to achieve the expected results. One of the key reasons is the neglect of cultural compatibility, which, according to research, accounts for approximately 21% of failures.

For the seventh consecutive year, Kmbs lecturer Marina Starodubskaya has represented the school in Paris, teaching alongside the program leader of Magellan Institute, José-Maria Aulotte. This partnership allows for the integration of Ukrainian management expertise into a global context and provides an opportunity to exchange experiences with leaders in the international market.

"In the 2026 academic season, the classroom work focused on defining the optimal model for integrating companies in cross-border M&A deals—taking into account business objectives and cultural compatibility, in particular," notes Marina Starodubskaya.

The course participants included top managers and HR leaders from various industries, ranging from energy and aerospace to pharmaceuticals (including Danone, Servier, Safran Landing, Engie SA).

Key topics of the course included:

- The use of nine evidence-based systems for analyzing national cultures—Hofstede, Trompenaars, Triandis, Gelfand/Uz, Hall, Inglehart, GLOBE, Schwartz, Lewis—for understanding culturally conditioned behavior and decision-making regarding it.

- The application of a three-level HR synchronization framework (1) strategy, (2) human component—culture, norms, (3) processes—to prepare for onboarding, integration, and dealing with tension or resistance during M&A.

- The analysis of customer journeys of merging companies, motivational factors, feedback formats, meetings, and the "manager-employee" relationship, to productively combine cultural features.

- The identification of common traits in the cultures of merging companies as a foundation for collaboration and productivity.

- Culturally aware adaptation of company processes and systems to enhance productivity and achieve the efficiency necessary for realizing business objectives.

- Designing long- and short-term interventions for a comprehensive M&A case that included cultural clashes and communication breakdowns at multiple levels.

Kyiv-Mohyla Business School continues to develop international cooperation, creating a space for interaction between Ukrainian educators and leading European institutions.