On: Did a 1997 merger ruin Boeing?

[interroboink]

Perhaps another take on this:

  Hard times create strong people
  strong people create good times
  good times create weak people
  weak people create hard times

Obviously that's not some magic rule or anything, but people shape their surroundings, then the surroundings shape their people. When played out across generations (or multiple phases of ownership at a company, as in your comment), cycles often form.