From Promise to Performance: A Journey of Transformation at SmithKline Beecham

Here are lessons from the personal experience of the team that led one of the most successful transnational corporate mergers of all time-the transformation of SmithKline Beckman and the Beecham Group into SmithKline Beecham, a leading international health care company. The authors recount their thinking and actions as well as the successes, failures, and lessons learned. Through the story of the merger, they present a framework of five requisites for creating a culture of change: instilling a winning attitude, making the organization the hero, striving for continuous learning, instituting strategic communication, and aligning behavior with strategy. For managers, this account offers a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into how a major company aligned its business actions and behavior to be competitive in a rapidly changing industry, and how others can create an environment in which the ability to change sustains success.

"This is a fascinating, inside account of an extraordinarily successful merger. Even more important, it is a book about institutionalizing change. The merger is seen not as an end, but as a beginning. Change and learning are viewed as ongoing processes and values that sustain improved performance. I recommend it highly. It's both informative and entertaining."
--Paul A. Allaire, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox Corporation

"This book is a rare description of how a merger can serve as the foundation for fundamental strategic and organizational change."
--Philippe Haspeslagh, Professor, INSEAD

"The authors tell a riveting account of the SmithKline Beecham merger and offer important lessons for those interested in change management and leadership."
--Nitin Nohria, Associate Professor, Harvard Business School