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An exploration of the influence of sensemaking on the process and outcomes of postmerger integration. Case studies in four manufacturing companies

Mergers and acquisitions have become very popular in recent decades for firms
seeking competitive advantage. The high failure rates of these initiatives make
a closer look at the influence of the human factors and their complexity on these
change activities necessary. This study traces the development of merger and
acquisition activities in four companies, with a particular focus on individuals’
sensemaking over time and on the influence of human functional factors on the
process and the outcomes of the mergers reviewed.
A qualitative case-study approach is adopted with sixteen in-depth semistructured
interviews in four post-merger organisations. The analysis of the
collected primary data is done through a descriptive analysis of each individual
case and a cross-case analysis of the four investigated cases.
The findings show that there is a direct influence of the researched human
functional elements and of the individual sensemaking on both the process and
outcomes of the reviewed merger and acquisition cases. Based on the findings, a human functional merger and acquisition model – reflecting the interaction
and influence of the human functional elements – and a management guideline
for adopting this, are developed.
This study provides a review of the influence of some significant organisational
and individual human functional elements, such as leadership, communication,
decision-making, relationship, and individual beliefs, values, attitudes and
learning on the process and outcome of mergers and acquisitions. Such an
investigation of these elements and their complexity, interaction with and
influence on the process and outcome of change initiatives, and more
specifically in the context of mergers and acquisitions, has not been undertaken
previously.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/14466
Date January 2015
CreatorsKleinschwärzer, Markus Helmut
ContributorsSpicer, David P., Niemann, Eva
PublisherUniversity of Bradford, Faculty of Management and Law
Source SetsBradford Scholars
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, doctoral, DBA
Rights<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>.

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