Why do so many mergers fail?Many consultants refer to how little time companies spend before a merger in thinking about whether their organisations are compatible.The benefits of mergers are usually couched down in financial terms: cost-savings can be made or the two sides have complementary businesses that will allow them to increase up revenues. Mergers are about compatibility, which it means agreeing whose values will prevail and who will be the dominant partner.So it is no an accident that managers as well as journalists reach for a marriage metaphors in describing them.Merging their companiesare said to 'tie the knot'. When mergers are called off,the two companies fail to 'make it up the aisle' or their relationship remains very'unconsummated'.Yet the metaphor fails to convey over the scale of risk companies run when they launch acquisitions or mergers.Even in countries with the high divorce rates,marriages have a better success and rate than mergers. __________,__________,__________,__________,__________ __________,__________,__________,__________,__________