Kraft's Cultural Issues during Cadbury Takeover - Coursework Example

In this context, while Kraft saw Cadbury as a highly profitable business that could significantly expand its market share, senior Cadbury management, and even the UK public saw Cadbury as a symbol of rich British traditions (Rudani, 2013:67). Having been founded in the early 19th century, Britons thought that Cadbury’s history was too rich to be valued monetarily. They saw Kraft as a soulless company that was driven by takeovers and profits only (Rosenbaum-Elliott, Percy & Pervan, 2011:49). Kraft’s management (Americans) on the other hand, only thought about increased market share and profitability to them, Cadbury was nothing more than another statistic to add to the many companies it has acquired to expand.

Kraft marketing also employs management strategies that are largely American, and which do not resonate with Britons’ preferred style of management (Cadbury, 2011:54. This created and still creates enormous challenges when using former Cadbury employees to implement the new firm’s policies. American management culture is too bureaucratic and systematic while British management culture leans more towards personal responsibility and fast decision-making (Palmieri, 2014:34). Finally, the main reason why Kraft experienced issues in management in the United Kingdom is that Americans are too direct, elaborate, and contextual. British, on the other hand, are quite indirect, personal, effective and yet effective, and instrumental in their communications (UK Parliament, 2010:56b). This created a clash of communicative methods that posed a great challenge during the takeover.