M: Organizational Behavior 2nd Edition by Steven McShane, Mary Von Glinow

Exercise 115

When Bank of Northern Minnesota (BNM) acquired a major investment firm, senior executives noticed hostilities forming between the financial analysts in the investment company and the bank's marketing people who provide marketing expertise for the investment firm's mutual funds and other investment vehicles. The marketing staff members say that the finance staff members do not care much for the needs of the customers. They partly attribute this to the poor marketing expertise in the investment firm before BNM bought it. The analysts, many of whom have graduate degrees from top universities, privately complain that the marketing types don't have enough brainpower to turn on a light switch. Use social identity theory to explain why these hostilities might exist.