個案總覽

Ecobank Ghana had branches in every region of Ghana and wanted to expand its client base to include more small and medium enterprises. At the end of 2011, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Ecobank Ghana’s parent company, acquired the Trust Bank Ghana Limited, a bank that primarily serviced small businesses, which it planned to merge with Ecobank Ghana through a share swap. Integrating the two banks would involve merging different organizational cultures and operational technologies. The employee appointed as the manager responsible for ensuring a seamless integration of the two banks needed a plan to integrate the staff, standardize the operational systems, and establish a converged culture. How should he prioritize the changes, and what challenges should he anticipate from the merger?

Ecobank Ghana had branches in every region of Ghana and wanted to expand its client base to include more small and medium enterprises. At the end of 2011, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Ecobank Ghana's parent company, acquired the Trust Bank Ghana Limited, a bank that primarily serviced small businesses, which it planned to merge with Ecobank Ghana through a share swap. Integrating the two banks would involve merging different organizational cultures and operational technologies. The employee appointed as the manager responsible for ensuring a seamless integration of the two banks needed a plan to integrate the staff, standardize the operational systems, and establish a converged culture. How should he prioritize the changes, and what challenges should he anticipate from the merger?

Bertha Ansah had come a long way from selling confectionaries to her school classmates to owning and leading her own transportation services company. Her journey included a career in nursing, retail in arts and crafts, a stint selling generators, public health activities, and since 1999, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Pergah Transportation Limited. As the owner of a transportation company, Ansah was breaking the mold in Ghana. While it was common and expected for Ghanaian women to work, their work was largely limited to defined roles in small, often informal enterprises, primarily in agriculture or caring occupations-not transportation. Ansah was, as she described it, "always looking for something new to do." It was exactly that restlessness that had landed her in the middle of her current dilemma. In 2008, Ansah supported John Atta Mills in his campaign to become the president of Ghana. Mills was elected and envisioned great changes for Ghana's working class, especially small business owners. One of those key changes involved giving new life to Ghana's Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (Masloc)-a job Mills wanted Ansah to take on. Mills became president in 2009 and the position of CEO Masloc was vacant, so he needed to fill it to meet his electoral promises. Could Ansah give up her private business to provide the public service the president wanted for their country? It was Sunday and Ansah was still not any closer to an answer that was needed by Monday morning.