ABSTRACT
Centuries of merger and acquisition (M&A) research have allowed the development of a fairly wide-ranging understanding of organizational and managerial issues to consider and overcome when implementing a merger or acquisition. Scholars have investigated pre-and post-acquisition processes, identifying numerous factors critical to M&A performance (see Gomes et al. 2013 for a review). In the pre-acquisition phase, research has attempted to identify factors influencing acquisition decision-making and target selection processes. In the post-acquisition phase, the pivotal role of effective management of the integration process has become a widely accepted fact. In this regard, scholarly work has underlined the importance of considering employee reactions and commitment to, and identification with, the merged entity; cultural, strategic, and organizational compatibilities or discrepancies between acquisition partners; and further managerial decision-making on the targeting, pace and scope of integration (see Mirc 2013 for a review).
