Neo-Charismatic Leadership and the Fate of Mergers and Acquisitions: An Institutional Model of CEO Leadership

CEOs face complex situational demands at each phase of the merger process. We offer an institutional perspective on how pre-merger and post-merger objectives and demands translate into CEO leadership role requirements. By illustrating how these role requirements are well-served by CEO neo-charismatic leadership, we answer why the rise of CEO neo-charismatic leadership is relevant to the merger context. Our model contributes to the institutional understanding of the merger process and its demands, and specifies forms of executive leadership needed for mergers to be successful.