This book aims to help readers: set out a strategy for their change / integration process; significantly reduce the change / integration cycle time; better manage the emotional dimension of such events thus reducing the number of internal conflicts; reassure key people more rapidly and thus help keep the best talent inside the company.

Mergers, acquisitions, and alliances continue to be almost an everyday feature of the contemporary business scene, yet at least half prove to be unsuccessful. The authors show the contribution that psychology can make to our understanding of the merger phenomena - how it affects organizational performance, and how it affects the managers and employees involved. Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances is intended as a guide to successful organizational marriage. Great emphasis is placed on the issue of cultural compatibility as it concerns partner selection, integration practices and venture outcomes. The book also focuses on cross-national mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. With the increasing economic activity within the European Union and between the unions of other countries, there is a need to know more about the corporate and national cultures in these strategic alliances. The authors have drawn upon an extensive body of research based on recent cases in a wide cross section of industries across Europe. The book is unique in showing the actual effect mergers and acquisitions have on people, and consequently on the performance of the 'new' organization. It will be particularly relevant for decision makers - those who are involved in planning and implementing a large organizational change, and those responsible for ensuring successful integration afterwards. It would also be extremely useful for postgraduate management students, personnel executives and management consultants.

Organizational flirts and marriages alliances, mergers and acquisitions are dramatic examples of how soft cultures can produce hard facts of success or failure. Decisions born from human vanity can lead to destruction of human capital. The chapters selected by Ulijn, Duysters and Meijer illustrate the many facets of organizational family life for the scholar and, hopefully, for the decision-maker who considers another move. Geert Hofstede, author of Culture s Consequences This unique book focuses on the link between different types of culture (national, corporate, professional) and the success of strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions. Over the past decades we have seen a significant increase in the number of strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions. Despite this proliferation many recent studies have reported high failure rates. This failure is often attributed to cultural differences between partners, which has led to a growing body of literature on the subject. To date, most of these studies have focused on national and corporate culture, whereas this book also places particular emphasis on the importance of culture at the professional level. The authors clearly show that all three levels of culture may have a profound impact upon the ultimate success or failure of alliances, mergers and acquisitions. Researchers in the field of international business, strategic management, and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions will find this book to be of invaluable interest. Managers in multinational corporations and international business students should also not be without this important resource.

If 75 percent of all mergers fail, what makes the other 25 percent succeed? Mergers, acquisitions, and alliances are more vital today than ever before in driving business success. This indispensible guide offers proven strategies and sound solutions to the multitude of integration issues that inevitably arise, and shows how to create a combined business that meets its strategic and financial objectives, competes better, and offers personal and organizational enhancements. Dubbed "merger mavens" by Fortune magazine, the authors report lessons learned from their experience in over 100 combinations. Executives, managers, and employees alike in all industries and sectors will find useful examples, strategies, and tools here. Praise for Joining Forces "This book will help both M&A veterans and those new to the game. The authorsprovide great insights into the human, cultural, organizational, and strategic factors that matter in M&A success." Richard Kovacevich, chairman and CEO emeritus, Wells Fargo & Co. "Don't commit to the merger or acquisition without them! I have personally witnessed how hard it is on everyone employees, shareholders, communities, and especially executives to work through an improperly managed merger. I have known Marks and Mirvis for almost twenty-five years and the only mistake our organization made was that we did not consult them soon enough. Their new book reflects unequalled experience and intellect. Don't merge, acquire, or be acquired without it!" Michael R. Losey, CEO (emeritus), Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) "Joining Forces is a terrific resource for managers who want to understand thehuman dynamics of mergers and acquisitions, and a must-read for those who have to lead their companies through one. It is based on the latest research and providespractical insights and advice from authors who know M&A inside out." Edward E. Lawler III, Distinguished Professor of Business, Marshall School ofBusiness, University of Southern California

Leverage today's most complete and practical framework for driving superior business value from mergers and acquisitions -- both domestic and international. A Comprehensive Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions Management focuses on critical success factors across every stage of the process, including planning, screening, negotiation, due diligence, transition management structures, post-merger integration, leadership and trust, cultural integration, HR practices, control, monitoring, and more. Authored by Yaakov Weber, an international expert in M&A management, strategic alliances, and strategic management, this book's uniquely interdisciplinary approach fully addresses both operational and cultural requirements, supporting participants in every role. Replete with recent examples and cases, it pays special attention to crucial strategic and behavioral linkages between pre- and post-merger stages, explaining why they are so important and how they can be managed to create maximum value. Throughout, Weber provides practical tools, tables, and figures that can help M&A implementers ensure best performance and achieve success where others have failed. As just one example, he provides proven instruments for analyzing cultural differences and the potential for synergy, and translating that potential into reality. For multiple audiences, including board members and top executives who must evaluate the strategic and financial issues associated with M&A; investment bankers, VCs, and other investors who must screen and select acquisitions; managers who must execute business combinations; consultants in strategy, HR, culture, and other areas; and faculty and students in executive education, MBA, and BA-level business programs.

How to Create Joint Value Alliances, partnerships, acquisitions, mergers, and joint ventures are no longer the exception in most businesses—they are part of the core strategy. As managers look to external partners for resources and capabilities, they need a practical roadmap to ensure that these relationships will create value for their firm. They must answer questions like these: Which business combinations do we need? How should we govern them? Will their results justify our investments? Benjamin Gomes-Casseres explains how companies create value by “remixing” resources with other companies. Based on decades of consulting and academic research, Remix Strategy shows how three laws shape the success of any business combination: • First Law: The combination must have the potential to create more value than the parties could create on their own. Which elements from each business need to be combined to create joint value? • Second Law: The combination must be designed and managed to realize the joint value. Which partners best fit our strategic goals? How should we manage the integration? • Third Law: The value earned by the parties must motivate them to contribute to the collaboration. How will we share the joint value created? Will the returns shift over time? Supported by examples from a wide range of industries and companies, and filled with practical tools for applying the three laws, this book helps managers design and lead a coherent strategy for creating joint value with outside partners.

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2008 in the subject Business economics - Economic Policy, grade: 1,7, University of Applied Sciences Berlin, course: International Business Strategy, language: English, abstract: Over the past 30 years, there were two main vehicles through which companies have globalised: international strategic alliances and cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As). Both vehicles are instruments used by companies to increase their global reach and competitiveness. In the new economy, alliances and M&As seem to be the normal way of doing business. Although strategic alliances and M&As are not a recent phenomena, their pace of growth and the variety of their forms has been increasing. When dealing with strategic alliances and M&As, four main questions arise: What are the drivers of strategic alliances and M&As? Which sources of success and failure offer these two growth vehicles? Are there specific determinants that are decisive in the process of establishing a strategic alliance or doing a merger or acquisition? And why do so many M&A fail? To answer these questions chapter 1 deals with the rationale for strategic alliances and M&As by outlining key points of the past development. Chapter two clarifies the different types of international alliances and their advantages and disadvantages. It also describes success criteria being important for forming strategic alliances by clarifying the major steps in analysing strategic alliances. To combine theory and praxis, chapter three ends with a short case study about the Renault-Nissan Alliance stating the key success factors. The chapter three is about cross-border M&As by focussing on their the two phases - the pre-acquisition phase and the post-acquisition phase. It describes how companies should decide, give value and negotiate the deal and underlines important managerial processes involved in the integration of the merged company. By analysing the rea