One of the biggest problems in M&A is the assumption that it’s a linear process. However, we find various layers that are in conflict to each other – not only during the acquisition screening process, but also in post-acquisition integration. This conflicting nature is the main source why failure is mostly attributed to culture, and why we overlook cause-effect-relationships and its interdependencies in the entire acquisition process.
This paper unravels the acquisition process vertically and horizontally in order to generate implications for M&A managers on how to:
- Identify strategically fitting targets,
- Create stabilization when integrating acquirer and target units
- Track the their acquisition goal achievement.
