Corporate restructuring (acquisitions, alliances and divestment) is a visible form of corporate strategy. For example, firm investments in buying and selling assets exceed the gross domestic product of the majority of nations. Most research in this area examines acquisitions, but informing practice is limited by examining acquisitions in isolation or using a narrow focus. For example, a lingering problem is that average acquisition performance is consistently around zero, suggesting a need to identify practically relevant relationships. In addressing this need, research on three fundamental questions is covered: 1) How do acquisitions relate to other corporate strategy options?; 2) What helps to predict acquisition performance?; and 3) What are persistent acquisition research issues? The first question is intended to overcome a research limitation that acquisitions are often examined independent of other corporate strategies, including internal development, alliances, and divestment. The second question addresses novel relationships associated with the primary focus of acquisition research in examining what drives acquisition performance. The third question reflects on the underlying complexity of the phenomenon that makes it a challenge to identify what drives acquisition performance. Overall, the intent of presenting ideas on these fundamental questions is to illustrate promising areas for future research. This book presents the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest to researchers, academics, and advanced students in the fields of strategic management, international business, and organizational studies.

The goal of the book is end-to-end automation of M&A processes. With this book, the following tasks can be carried out: 1.Determination of the tasks to be automated: In this book, all tasks in due diligence are described. The tasks relevant for a company can be selected and then automated in a targeted manner. 2.Overview of the automation options for the M&A process: The automatability described for the tasks allow an overview of which tasks in the M&A process can already be automated in which way. 3.Determination of the automation potential of M&A processes: The methodology contained in this book and the details of the tasks and their automatability allow the determination of the digitization potential. 4.Familiarization with M&A processes: In this book all tasks in the Due Diligence phase are documented with their objectives, a description and with questions during the execution. This enables a quick familiarization with the details of the Due Diligence phase.

This short research paper provides an easy-to-read research study and overview of M&A as a corporate strategy. Business leaders may often ponder why mergers and acquisitions are so popular as a corporate growth strategy? And perhaps why the published failure rates of M&A are seemingly so high? Perhaps whether the primary purpose of embarking on a corporate M&A strategy is focused on delivering investor and/or shareholder return on investment, i.e. wealth creation? This research work includes summary overviews of a few high profile M&A events like the recent $1 billion Facebook acquisition of Instagram. Moreover, "M&A" strives to specifically explore the logic and reason behind questions business leaders often ponder when pursuing a corporate growth strategy via M&A. Additional case studies in "M&A" include summaries on the perceived and/or real corporate intent and motivation behind the acquisition attempts by CNN of Mashable; UPS of TNT; SASOL of Talisman; and Manulife Financial of John Hancock. Not all of the above will be viewed as having been successful, but objectively, measuring success depends on the real reason - or success metrics - in place to determine why an executive management team embarked on a corporate acquisition strategy in the first place. Whether popular, or successful, a strategy pursuing mergers and/or acquisitions is as old as business itself. I hope that you will enjoy reading this short research paper as much as I had enjoyed writing it!

Now beyond its eleventh printing and translated into twelve languages, Michael Porter’s The Competitive Advantage of Nations has changed completely our conception of how prosperity is created and sustained in the modern global economy. Porter’s groundbreaking study of international competitiveness has shaped national policy in countries around the world. It has also transformed thinking and action in states, cities, companies, and even entire regions such as Central America. Based on research in ten leading trading nations, The Competitive Advantage of Nations offers the first theory of competitiveness based on the causes of the productivity with which companies compete. Porter shows how traditional comparative advantages such as natural resources and pools of labor have been superseded as sources of prosperity, and how broad macroeconomic accounts of competitiveness are insufficient. The book introduces Porter’s “diamond,” a whole new way to understand the competitive position of a nation (or other locations) in global competition that is now an integral part of international business thinking. Porter's concept of “clusters,” or groups of interconnected firms, suppliers, related industries, and institutions that arise in particular locations, has become a new way for companies and governments to think about economies, assess the competitive advantage of locations, and set public policy. Even before publication of the book, Porter’s theory had guided national reassessments in New Zealand and elsewhere. His ideas and personal involvement have shaped strategy in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Portugal, Taiwan, Costa Rica, and India, and regions such as Massachusetts, California, and the Basque country. Hundreds of cluster initiatives have flourished throughout the world. In an era of intensifying global competition, this pathbreaking book on the new wealth of nations has become the standard by which all future work must be measured.

This book provides executives with an in-depth look at the consequences of M&As for acquired top management teams. It examines M&As as a corporate growth strategy, the importance of top management teams to a firm's long-term performance, the reasons why executives depart after an acquisition, and the effects of these departures on target company performance.

Volume 23 of this annual series explores a range of issues, from cross-border mergers and acquisitions, MNE strategies and multi-business firms to outsourcing and strategic choices.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether business managers attach more importance to one contributing group over the others in their endeavor to achieve the objectives of the firm.