Acquisitions have become an increasingly used tool for corporate growth during the lastdecade. Even so, most acquisitions fail, due to a lack of focus on the human elements of the integration process. This research sheds light on the human integration process of acquisitions and more specifically, three of its critical elements; culture, structure and humanresources management. However, when investigating acquisitions at Atlas Copco it becomesapparent that these elements are emphasized and prioritized differently in differentacquisitions. By conducting 22 interviews with managers from both Atlas Copco and managers and employees from three of its acquired organizations, this paper seeks tounderstand how the acquirer should choose an appropriate human integration strategy and what factors that determine that choice. Furthermore, it examines how the acquirer should manage the employees of the acquired firm to facilitate the implementation of changes duringthe integration process. The results shows that the acquirer choose to emphasize and prioritize the aspects that are most important to reform in order to allow the implementationof future changes in the integration process. In these cases, the prioritized aspects are alsoconsidered critical to improve by the employees, therefore the prioritization creates a perception of the acquirer’s good intentions with the integration as a whole. Furthermore, the results reveals that it is important that the acquirer invest in resources for communication,trainings and additional personnel to help the employees understand and support the changesduring the entire process.

Background: In today's dynamic business environment, organizations face high pressure for change and adaptation. It is generally perceived that change is inevitable and many believe that change is an ongoing and never-ending process. The retail industry is a highly competitive sector, and thus it becomes paramount for organizations to successfully manage change. The subject of change management has been present for a long period, however, a remarkably low amount of research has been focused on change management for retail store managers. Therefore, this study aims to examine retail store managers' communication during change processes. Purpose: This study’s purpose is to create a comprehensive understanding of retail store managers’ communication during change processes. Moreover, to identify which elements should be prioritized by retail store managers communicating during change. Method: To achieve the purpose of this thesis, a qualitative interview study was conducted, and it consisted of seven semi-structured interviews with retail store managers. The thesis was guided by an inductive approach, and a thematic analysis of the empirical findings was utilized. Conclusion: This study found that retail store managers' communicational structure was similar as it was based on the same elements, adaptability, selectivity, multiple channels, and prioritization. The structure enabled retail store managers to ensure that the communication was clear and open, thus minimizing employee stress and uncertainty. Continuing, the results indicated that retail store managers should prioritize certain communicational elements, for instance, clarity, openness, and long-run perspective.