A Comprehensive Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions: Managing the Critical Success Factors Across Every Stage of the M&A Process

Preface

One of the enduring paradoxes in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has been the propensity of corporations and executives to engage in M&As despite consistent evidence that post-merger performance of acquiring firms is disappointing. For example, in 2011, global M&A activity shattered previous years’ deal volume records, and recent surveys reveal that despite the financial market crisis, executives remain upbeat about their M&A plans around the world (Deloitte 2012; Bloomberg 2012). However, the success of the M&A remains questionable. For example, managers of acquiring firms report that only 56 percent of their acquisitions can be considered successful against the original objectives set for them (Schoenberg 2006). A possible explanation ...