In this paper we have discussed what mergers and acquisitions are and how they are a part of any
organizations strategic planning policy. Organizations ‘merge’ generally with similar organizations or
‘acquire’ weaker organizations, and the essence as to why they do so is that the value of two is greater than
one. They basically merge with or acquire each other’s strengths and try to overcome one another’s
weaknesses thus leading to increased market shares and profitability. We have discussed the various
rationales for mergers and acquisitions like the strategic rationale, speculative rationale, management
failure rationale etc, along with their types that include vertical integration, horizontal integration and
conglomeration. We have also put light on how companies go strategically about mergers and acquisitions.
The merger and acquisition life cycle aided by real examples (case studies) will offer a vivid understanding
of these concepts to the reader.
Management of culture in mergers and acqusitionBolaji Okusaga
Public Relations is a great tool for the Management of soft-issues in Mergers and Acquisition. Oftentimes, managers bother only about the hard-issues but value-attrition mostly occur when the soft-issues are not properly addressed.
Management of culture in mergers and acqusitionBolaji Okusaga
Public Relations is a great tool for the Management of soft-issues in Mergers and Acquisition. Oftentimes, managers bother only about the hard-issues but value-attrition mostly occur when the soft-issues are not properly addressed.
It is now generally accepted in the M&A domain that most mergers fail. And yet despite the dangers and horror sagas associated with M&A transactions, these types of business combinations are here for good because they are now the principal route to rapid business growth for many firms.The burning question therefore is: how can firms that aspire to grow through mergers and acquisitions increase their chances of success?The point of departure for M&A should be development of an M&A strategy that is anchored on the firm‟s overall business strategy. The firm should adopt a structured approach that covers the whole M&A process; set metrics for evaluating M&A targets; and actively engage in searching for potential targets. The criteria used to spot the right target could include business strategy, potential synergies, market availability, scale of activities, geographical location, technology, market growth potential and, business and culture fit. The type of merger should be another consideration, in which case bottom-trawlers, bolt-ons, line extension equivalents and consolidation mature, all with over 50% success rate, should be prioritized.The firm should then carry out comprehensive due diligence and objectively/accurately evaluate synergies. With respect to synergies, the acquirer should establish beforehand what synergies exist, where those synergies exist and how they will be extracted. Once a deal is closed, it is necessary to establish its success or failure, post-merger.M&A success should be considered from the shareholders of the acquirer‟s perspective, and an M&A should be judged successful if Net RealisableSynergies exceed Acquisition Purchase Premium. M&A critical success factors include merger segmentation considerations, the type of acquisition, timing, APP, effective integration, economic certainty and accurate target valuation.
Merger and acquisition a strategic move towardsTapasya123
In a dynamic economy, business structures and company structures are in a state of
constant flux. This leads to several forms of re-organisation. Thus, in the wake of economic
reforms, enhanced competition and globalisation of businesses; industries have started
restructuring and growing their operations around their core business activities either
by internal expansion or by external expansion. In the case of internal expansion,
a firm grows gradually over time in the normal course of the business, through acquisition
of new assets, replacement of the technologically obsolete equipments and the
establishment of new lines of products. But in external expansion, a firm acquires
a running business and grows overnight through corporate combinations. These
combinations are in the form of mergers, acquisitions, amalgamations and takeovers;
which have now become important features of corporate restructuring because of the
increasing exposure to competition both domestically and internationally. Although
successful organisations are often marked by a modest, continuous level of change,
the past few years have been marked by significant business and talent survival tactics
in response to challenging economic conditions. Moreover, the effects of these multiple
and ongoing changes produce complex and often ambivalent results. Employees are
the hardest hit by M&As and may take a long time to recover. Employees want to
see and hear from their senior leaders to help understand where the new organisation
is going, and how this change influences their jobs and the organisation as a whole.
Merger and Acquistition: A Strategic move towards Change and HR Challengesprofessionalpanorama
In a dynamic economy, business structures and company structures are in a state of
constant flux. This leads to several forms of re-organisation. Thus, in the wake of economic
reforms, enhanced competition and globalisation of businesses; industries have started
restructuring and growing their operations around their core business activities either
by internal expansion or by external expansion. In the case of internal expansion,
a firm grows gradually over time in the normal course of the business, through acquisition
of new assets, replacement of the technologically obsolete equipments and the
establishment of new lines of products. But in external expansion, a firm acquires
a running business and grows overnight through corporate combinations. These
combinations are in the form of mergers, acquisitions, amalgamations and takeovers;
which have now become important features of corporate restructuring because of the
increasing exposure to competition both domestically and internationally. Although
successful organisations are often marked by a modest, continuous level of change,
the past few years have been marked by significant business and talent survival tactics
in response to challenging economic conditions. Moreover, the effects of these multiple
and ongoing changes produce complex and often ambivalent results. Employees are
the hardest hit by M&As and may take a long time to recover. Employees want to
see and hear from their senior leaders to help understand where the new organisation
is going, and how this change influences their jobs and the organisation as a whole.
It is now generally accepted in the M&A domain that most mergers fail. And yet despite the dangers and horror sagas associated with M&A transactions, these types of business combinations are here for good because they are now the principal route to rapid business growth for many firms.The burning question therefore is: how can firms that aspire to grow through mergers and acquisitions increase their chances of success?The point of departure for M&A should be development of an M&A strategy that is anchored on the firm‟s overall business strategy. The firm should adopt a structured approach that covers the whole M&A process; set metrics for evaluating M&A targets; and actively engage in searching for potential targets. The criteria used to spot the right target could include business strategy, potential synergies, market availability, scale of activities, geographical location, technology, market growth potential and, business and culture fit. The type of merger should be another consideration, in which case bottom-trawlers, bolt-ons, line extension equivalents and consolidation mature, all with over 50% success rate, should be prioritized.The firm should then carry out comprehensive due diligence and objectively/accurately evaluate synergies. With respect to synergies, the acquirer should establish beforehand what synergies exist, where those synergies exist and how they will be extracted. Once a deal is closed, it is necessary to establish its success or failure, post-merger.M&A success should be considered from the shareholders of the acquirer‟s perspective, and an M&A should be judged successful if Net RealisableSynergies exceed Acquisition Purchase Premium. M&A critical success factors include merger segmentation considerations, the type of acquisition, timing, APP, effective integration, economic certainty and accurate target valuation.
Merger and acquisition a strategic move towardsTapasya123
In a dynamic economy, business structures and company structures are in a state of
constant flux. This leads to several forms of re-organisation. Thus, in the wake of economic
reforms, enhanced competition and globalisation of businesses; industries have started
restructuring and growing their operations around their core business activities either
by internal expansion or by external expansion. In the case of internal expansion,
a firm grows gradually over time in the normal course of the business, through acquisition
of new assets, replacement of the technologically obsolete equipments and the
establishment of new lines of products. But in external expansion, a firm acquires
a running business and grows overnight through corporate combinations. These
combinations are in the form of mergers, acquisitions, amalgamations and takeovers;
which have now become important features of corporate restructuring because of the
increasing exposure to competition both domestically and internationally. Although
successful organisations are often marked by a modest, continuous level of change,
the past few years have been marked by significant business and talent survival tactics
in response to challenging economic conditions. Moreover, the effects of these multiple
and ongoing changes produce complex and often ambivalent results. Employees are
the hardest hit by M&As and may take a long time to recover. Employees want to
see and hear from their senior leaders to help understand where the new organisation
is going, and how this change influences their jobs and the organisation as a whole.
Merger and Acquistition: A Strategic move towards Change and HR Challengesprofessionalpanorama
In a dynamic economy, business structures and company structures are in a state of
constant flux. This leads to several forms of re-organisation. Thus, in the wake of economic
reforms, enhanced competition and globalisation of businesses; industries have started
restructuring and growing their operations around their core business activities either
by internal expansion or by external expansion. In the case of internal expansion,
a firm grows gradually over time in the normal course of the business, through acquisition
of new assets, replacement of the technologically obsolete equipments and the
establishment of new lines of products. But in external expansion, a firm acquires
a running business and grows overnight through corporate combinations. These
combinations are in the form of mergers, acquisitions, amalgamations and takeovers;
which have now become important features of corporate restructuring because of the
increasing exposure to competition both domestically and internationally. Although
successful organisations are often marked by a modest, continuous level of change,
the past few years have been marked by significant business and talent survival tactics
in response to challenging economic conditions. Moreover, the effects of these multiple
and ongoing changes produce complex and often ambivalent results. Employees are
the hardest hit by M&As and may take a long time to recover. Employees want to
see and hear from their senior leaders to help understand where the new organisation
is going, and how this change influences their jobs and the organisation as a whole.
Corporate finance manager must take economic and financial decision aimed at maximizing the value creation of the company and also shareholders wealth. Merger and acquisition have been identified as means of survival strategy and sustainable business growth in a distress economy rather than outright liquidation. The study employed an ex-post facto research design with a focus population of twenty four deposit money banks classified into two groups of ten trouble and fourteen sound banks. Six banks that have gone through the second round of consolidation were selected using purposive sampling technique for period of seven years (2008-2014). CAMEL indicators were used to proxy merger and acquisition input while business growth was proxied using performance measurement of ROA. The study employed both descriptive and inferential statistic using multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance to determine whether there is significant relationship between the pre and post-merger CAMEL indicator and performance measures. The study observed a mixed relationship of merger and acquisition proxy by CAMEL on business growth proxy by ROA across the sampled banks. The study concluded that merger and acquisition as survival strategy and sustainable business growth has failed to produce the desired synergistic effects among the sample banks. This negates the theoretical and financial believe that merger and acquisition automatically leads to synergistic gain and value creation for shareholders. The study recommended that the specific input into merger and acquisition in bank the CAMEL indicators should be managed better to have a positive relationship with business growth. Also the bank’s management should be proactive in product diversification, risk management and enhancement of good corporate governance practices.
certified merger and acquisitions analyst sample-materialVskills
The sample course material covers the followings concepts on.
Introduction to M & A
Understanding Key terms
Motivation behind M&A
Fundamental of M&A
Types of M&A Deals
Stages in M&A
Challenges of M&A deals
Check more details on the below link.
http://www.vskills.in/certification/accounting-banking-and-finance/Certified-Merger-and-Acquisition-Analyst
Motivations behind the mergers & acquisitions by larger corporationsCharm Rammandala
The purpose of this article is to understand what drives large corporations to mergers and acquisitions. It is noted that large corporations are intensifying their efforts to merge or acquire various firms which strategically important to the growth of the company. This paper will examine the reasons behind the increasing trend of mergers and acquisitions and its true benefit to the shareholders.
The contemporary business environment has been highly complex and dynamic with organizations facing unprecedented amount of competition due to globalization and technological innovations. Merger and acquisition is one of the most popular organization strategy that organizations apply when faced with this kind of operating environment acquiring resources, skills, and competencies beyond their organization control. Many studies have been done to support implementation of M&As within organizations but they have indicated conflicting outcomes with some showing that it negatively affect organization performance and others indicating they positively affect performance. However, none of the studies done has concentrated on the effect within the privately traded organizations and very few but conflicting studies have been done on this relationship in Kenya. This study therefore sought to assess the effects of merger and acquisition on the performance of privately trading organizations in Kenya. The study was grounded upon the efficiency theory, the market power theory, and economic production theory. Reviewed literature revealed existing gaps related to the literature. The study adopted descriptive research design on short run data collected at UAP Insurance within the pre-merger (2012-2014) and post-merger (2015-2017) periods for various performance statistics, where descriptive analysis was applied to assess the differences and independent sample t-test. The study found that M&A affects the net profit margin, Return on Assets, Return on Equity, and earnings per share with all these performance indicators showing that the post-merger period had poorer performance than the pre-merger period. The study further observed that the M&A implementation caused serious disruptions in the operating environment and organization culture of the organization, which was bound to have negative implications on organization performance, employees and shareholders. The study recommends that organizations should avoid M&A strategy unless their current assets are able to fund their current liabilities beyond the short run period, as the declined performance was linked to the disruptions experienced from M&A implementations. The study also recommends that M&A intended changes should occur sequentially to cushion the organization internal operations from the disruptions due to the changes. Study suggests further studies assessing the long term impact of M&A on organization performance.
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Strategic management managing mergers and acquisitions
1. International Journal of BRIC Business Research (IJBBR) Volume 3, Number 1, February 2014
1
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: MANAGING MERGERS
& ACQUISITIONS
Ayesha Alam1
, Sana Khan 2
, Dr. FareehaZafar3
1. M.Phil Business Administration, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan.
2. M.Phil Business Administration, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan.
3. University of Derby, United Kingdom; currently is working at Government
College University, Lahore, Pakistan.
ABSTRACT
In this paper we have discussed what mergers and acquisitions are and how they are a part of any
organizations strategic planning policy. Organizations ‘merge’ generally with similar organizations or
‘acquire’ weaker organizations, and the essence as to why they do so is that the value of two is greater than
one. They basically merge with or acquire each other’s strengths and try to overcome one another’s
weaknesses thus leading to increased market shares and profitability. We have discussed the various
rationales for mergers and acquisitions like the strategic rationale, speculative rationale, management
failure rationale etc, along with their types that include vertical integration, horizontal integration and
conglomeration. We have also put light on how companies go strategically about mergers and acquisitions.
The merger and acquisition life cycle aided by real examples (case studies) will offer a vivid understanding
of these concepts to the reader.
KEY WORDS
Management, Strategies, Rationales, Mergers & Acquisitions
1. INTRODUCTION
Mergers and acquisitions that are usually referred to as M&As are an important part of corporate
restructuring. The basic concept behind mergers and acquisitions is that two companies together
are of more value than those two companies when they are separate entities. It is basically a
consolidation of two companies. Therefore, the understanding of mergers and acquisitions is of
great importance in today’s world where newspapers almost every day tell stories of such taking
place around the globe. Some business sectors where mergers and acquisitions take place are
finance, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, oil, telecommunications, IT etc.
1.1Merger
A merger is a strategy of joining two businesses. Basically a merger occurs when two companies
join or merge to form one single company but with a new name.
‘M&As represent a marriage.’ [1]
2. International Journal of BRIC Business Research (IJBBR) Volume 3, Number 1, February 2014
2
This is because a merger often takes place between two companies that are equal in size and
stature and with their cooperation, thus the term ‘merger of equals’. This may not be true always
or for all the companies that merge. Sometimes a merger is not a marriage between two equals.
Hence:
‘When two companies differ significantly in size, they usually merge.’[2]
1.2 Acquisition
‘Acquisition refers to a situation where one firm acquires another and the latter ceases to exist’.
[2]
Simply put in what happens in an acquisition is that one business buys another usually smaller
business that might be absorbed within the parent organization or run as a subsidiary.
A company / organization that attempts to merge / acquire with some other company /
organization is generally referred to as the acquiring firm. On the other hand the company /
organization that is being acquired is known as the target company / organization.
2. MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Initially, that is in the past decades mergers and acquisitions were merely financial transactions
aiming to control undervalued assets and the target was an industry or business very different
from the acquirer’s core business. Cash flows merely sufficient for debt repayment was the main
goal. Mergers and acquisitions in recent times are very different.
‘Today, the typical merger or acquisition is quite strategic and operational in nature.’ [3]
This implies that today, managers are not just buying undervalued assets as discussed above but
what they are buying are installed customer bases, better distribution channels, greater
geographical boundaries, organizational competencies and a variety of new talent. All of these
acquired factors in turn offer more strategic opportunities to organizations so that they can gain
an edge over their competitors’ products and services. Such organizations are successful in
consolidating business units in an attempt to maximize revenues and share prices.
‘Strategic Planning has long been emphasized by organizations as an important tool leading to
business success.’ [4]
Many studies conducted in this regard revealed that seldom did managers had any clear strategic
rationale for M&As and the impact these deals will have on the company in the upcoming
periods. As discussed above, companies have recently shifted their emphasis from cost saving to
using M&As as a strategic driver for growth in corporations.
Mergers and acquisitions have several reasons to be justified. Organizations that undertake such
deals can either gain from them or can be a complete failure. It is therefore very important to
align any organizations strategic plans with their M&A plans. This can be done by an effective
tool that is due diligence that implies the screening of all the potential merger and acquisition
targets. Due diligence is explained later in our paper. [4]
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3. THE IMPORTANCE OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Mergers and acquisitions generally referred to as M&A are a very important means whereby
companies respond to the ever-changing strategic environment.
‘Many firms have no alternative but to merge, acquire or be acquired’. [5]
Simply put when organizations have no chance of survival they give themselves a last chance by
merging or by being acquired.
The basic goal of businesses in today’s world is to grow or death is destined for you. Companies
that are successful that is those companies that are growing will snatch market share from their
competitors, will generate high economic profits and provide reasonable returns to shareholders.
On the other hand companies that experience stagnant growth lose both their customers and
market share in addition to destroying shareholder value.
‘Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) play a critical role in both sides of this cycle.’ [6]
Mergers and acquisitions enable successful companies to grow faster than their competition by
combining the strengths of the companies that have merged. On the other hand, they lead to total
extinction of the weaker companies by having them acquired by other large and successful
companies.
‘Mergers and acquisitions are a vital part of any healthy economy and importantly, the primary
way that companies are able to provide returns to owners and investors.’ and also that ‘Merger
and acquisitions are among the most powerful and versatile growth tools employed by companies
of all sizes and in all industries.’ [6]
This also signifies the importance of mergers and acquisitions in that they are highly efficient
growth tools employed by organizations of all sizes and virtually in all industries. This depicts as
M&As being a global trend.
3.1 The Reasons behind Mergers and Acquisitions
Companies and businesses use mergers and acquisitions for many reasons. Some are mentioned
below:
Mergers and acquisitions can pave ways for entering new markets, Adding new product lines
and increasing the distribution reach—that is gaining a core competence to do more
combinations.
Mergers and acquisitions are used to increase / enhance shareholder value. This is done by:
• Cost reductions that are achieved by combining departments, operations, and trimming the
workforce—this cost reduction in turn leads to increased profitability.
• Increasing revenue by absorbing a major competitor and thereby increasing market share.
• Cross-selling of products / services.
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• Tax savings that are achieved when a profitable company merges with or takes over a money-
loser.
• Diversification that can stabilize earnings and boost investor confidence.
Some mergers and acquisitions take place when management of any business recognizes the
need to transform corporate identity. [6]
Mergers and acquisitions are also used for risk spreading
Acquisitions are undertaken to achieve vertical and horizontal operational synergies where
synergies signify that the whole is greater than the parts. [7]
Some mergers and acquisitions take place for market dominance and reaching economies of
scale. [8]
3.2Screening of potential Merger and Acquisition targets
As complexity of mergers and acquisitions has increased, the scope and effectiveness of due
diligence is now questionable. [9]
To overcome the danger of making a wrong decision, it should be well understood that the
potential buyer of an organization needs to work out and act on a clear criteria when considering
a potential merger or acquisition. [10]
Organizations considering a merger or acquisition should filter out their targets for the merger or
acquisition to be a success. They should rely on several metrics to triangulate vales, define and
agree the criteria upfront, rapidly filter out irrelevant organizations, and should take a stealth
approach to determining the size and performance of competitors.
Organizations should also plan for successful target engagement. To do so, they should clearly
identify their targets and offer compelling value proposition to potential target candidates. [11]
3.3 Rationale behind Mergers and Acquisitions
There are many rationales that determine the nature of a proposed merger or acquisition. They are
discussed as follows: [12]
Strategic Rationale
To achieve a set of strategic objectives, the strategic rationale plays an important role. Mergers
and acquisitions are usually not central to achieve strategic objectives, as usually there are other
alternatives available. A merger to secure control of capacity in the chosen sector is an example.
Speculative Rationale
This rationale takes place when the acquirer takes the acquired organization as a commodity. The
organization only will acquire another if it feels that it is a potential target and that it could benefit
from this acquisition. A major risk in this type of acquisition is that the acquirer can do anything
with the other organization which is acquired. It could either split it up or sell it in parts. The
speculative rationale is very much vulnerable to changes happening in the environment.
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Management Failure Rationale
Sometimes, mergers and acquisitions may be forced due to failure on the management’s side.
Strategies might me wrongfully aligned or market conditions may change significantly while
implementing the timescale. The result may be that the initial strategy becomes misaligned.
.Political Rationale
In today’s world, the impact of political influences is becoming increasingly significant with
respect to mergers and acquisitions. Mergers under this rationale usually take place on
governmental levels.
Business Redefining Rationale
Business redefinition is sometimes possible through mergers and acquisitions. This is an
appropriate strategic rationale when an organization’s mission and vision grow stale due to for
example, a major technological change. When this is the case, the organization cannot
immediately update its technology by internal investments so the organization seeks to acquire to
redefine its business.
4. INTEGRATION AND CONGLOMERATION
Generally speaking, there are three types of mergers:
Vertical Integration
Horizontal Integration
Conglomeration
They are discussed briefly as follows:
Vertical Integration
This type of integration is characterized by forward and backward integration along the supply
chain.
In its simplest form, it is the process of manufacturers merging with retailers of suppliers. This
type of integration is an attempt to reduce risks related to supplies. Mergers and acquisitions are
often used to achieve vertical integration. This integration merges manufacturers with suppliers or
retailers. Vertical integration can both run backwards and forwards.
Integration which runs towards the customer base is known as forward integration where as the
integration which runs towards the supplier base is known as backward integration.
Some advantages of vertical integration are briefly discussed below:
Combined processes
As the production processes of most organizations carry fixed price overheads, there is,
theoretically, prospect of increased support function efficiency.
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Quality management
A fully integrated production system provides better opportunities for a through quality
management system which covers every aspect of production.
Reduced negotiation
The need for complex and competitive negotiations decreases due to the fact that suppliers are
acquired.
Improved risk management
One of the benefits of this type of integration is that the risk associated with suppliers is reduced
to quite some extent. In many ways, the acquirer gets the control of supply products and raw
materials.
Horizontal Integration
Horizontal integration is when one company acquires another company that is active in the same
sector. This type of integration occurs when two companies that are engaged in essentially the
sameproduct or service merger to increase and uplift their combine market value. Examples
include global oil producing companies and automobile distribution companies.
Conglomeration
Conglomeration refers to the acquisition of unrelated companies that continue production in
unrelated sectors. This can be a useful approach in spreading business risks across a wide range
of areas. As conglomerates grow and expand, the risks increase rather than decrease.
4.1 Timing of Integration
Other than different levels and forms of integrations, the time of these integrations play a very
major role in the success of the merger or acquisition. This is related to the ongoing processes in
the acquired company. The exploitation and exploration of processes require different types of
integration therefore their timing of integration will also be different. [13]
“The longer the temporal lag between the closing and start of integration, the lower the
acquisition performance.” [14]
Thus it is very important to take timing of integration into consideration while acquiring or
merging with a company. If time is not taken into consideration, the merger or acquisition could
result in a major failure.
Sometimes, it also seems to be more beneficial to initially leave the target company on the
grounds on it was previously functioning and move towards any sort of integration at a later stage
in the change process. [15]
Whatever the case maybe, the acquirer company should carefully analyze and assess the company
to be acquired and study its process and then figure out the right time and right type of
integration.
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5. LIFE-CYCLE OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
A typical flow chart of mergers and acquisition is given below: [16]
Figure1: M&A Flow chart
Almost all mergers and acquisitions begin with the inception phase. In this phase, the process is
initiated by the senior managers of the organization. This step is usually followed by the
feasibility stage where the financial and land logistics area is analyzed. The merger or acquisition
may be taking place for the improvement of the financial position and market value. The
feasibility phase includes a detailed analysis of the financial characteristics of the proposed
merger while considering timescales, synergy generation and other variables.
During some point or towards the end of the feasibility phase, a proper decision is made on how
to take things to the next level. At this point, the organization commits its self to the merger or
acquisition and starts allocating the funds and resources as needed.
The next phase is known as the pre-merger phase and it starts immediately after the commitment
to proceed. In this phase, the senior managers of both the organizations enter into negotiations to
form a structure of the new combined organization. The services of external professional
consultants are also needed in this phase. After the negotiations are made, The deal takes form of
a merger. The contract sets out the rights, duties and obligations of both the organizations under
the terms of the deal. As soon as the contract is in place, the implementation process begins. This
process includes the mechanics of actually making the merger happen.
In real life, merger and acquisition life cycles can be considered in much more complex terms. In
practice, it is necessary to subdivide each life cycle phase into manageable chunks to have
sufficient control and response. Merger implementation managers usually establish detailed
reviews and associated reporting procedures and formats for each phase. The procedures prove to
be very helpful in keeping the entire merger focused and on track.
Figure 1 shows the various phases of the life cycle. Strategic planners dominate the early phases
as they are responsible initiating the merger and for making the strategically correct decisions.
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Once it is decided go ahead with the merger, the role of the strategic planners lessens and the
implementation teams and specialists become active. The external consultants are there to set up
the contracts and the remaining aspects of the deal. The integration team comes into action as
soon as the contracts are finalized and signed by both parties.
6. IMPORTANT TACTICS FOR MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
There are five overarching areas that all CEO’s and strategists should address to ensure a
successful M&A journey:
1. Internal capabilities:
The process of assessing and integrating of a target company should be carried by a
business development team.
2. Strategic goals and alignment:
It is very important to evaluate a company’s strategic and financial goals—determining if
they can be achieved faster or more easily via organic growth or an acquisition.
3. Selection criteria:
Selection should be based on post-acquisition market share, cost reduction and synergy
opportunities. Flexibility should be maintained as criteria in one industry may not apply
to another.
4. Target selection:
The target selection process needs to be carried out quickly keeping in mind that it should
be explicit and transparent. [17]
7. MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS - SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
M&As can either be successful or complete failures. A study in which 180 cases were studied
showed that two-thirds of mergers and acquisitions fail. Substandard outcomes were also
considered as failures. [18]
According to an earlier research, inadequate planning, hurry to close the deal, not being able to
foresee the future integration problems and projecting synergies that turn out to be illusionary are
all causes of failure. [19]
A detailed merger plan over how the implementation of the merger or acquisition should be
executed and implemented is extremely important. A successful merger plan will bear fruitful
results. In the mergers that do succeed, experiences and preparation are said to be the key factors.
A merger or acquisition has a higher chance of succeeding if the organization and its management
has previously experienced and survived a merger.
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8. CASE STUDIES
Discussed below are case studies on mergers and acquisitions:
Mergers:
One of the biggest mergers of 2013 is of Microsoft Corporation with Nokia Handsets and
Services Business. Microsoft purchased Nokia for $ 7,200,000,000. [19] Microsoft is attempting
to bail out one of the first makers of smart phones but at the same time, strategists say that it
could also be the other way round in the long run. According to Nokia’s CEO Steve Ballmer,
Microsoft bought Nokia only in an attempt to strengthen its fight against Apple Inc. and Google
Inc. so that it could be able to capture a portion of the lucrative mobile computing market.
It is now up to Microsoft whether they will work together with Nokia or whether they will
completely rebuild Nokia from the ground up in its own image.
According to some strategy makers, Microsoft realized well in time that it would not be able to
succeed without controlling the whole supply chain and at the same time, Nokia realized that it
needed a stronger partner with good a goof financial portfolio to continue with its Lumia smart
phones.
Microsoft hopes to complete the deal by early next year. This merger will result in the
transferring of 32,000 Nokia employees to Microsoft which currently has a workforce of 99,000
employees. [20]
Acquisitions:
Cisco Systems is a computer networking company which came into existence in 1984. It is a
world leader in networking and has transformed how people connect, communicate and
collaborate.
Mergers and acquisitions veteran Cisco Systems has acquired more than 149 companies over the
past 15 years. Cisco's growth strategy is based on identifying and driving market transitions.
Corporate Development focuses on acquisitions that help Cisco capture these market transitions.
Cisco categorizes its acquisitions into three categories: market acceleration, market expansion and
new market entry. The target companies offer different types of assets to Cisco which include
talent, technology, mature products and solution what Cisco is actually looking for is the potential
to reach billion dollar markets.
Cisco seeks acquisitions where there is not only a strong business case but also a shared business
and technological vision, and where compatibility of core values and culture foster an
environment for success. [21]
9. CONCLUSION
Mergers and acquisitions are being used as an important strategic tool for survival by many
organizations in today’s competitive business environment. The essence of mergers and
acquisitions is that the value of two companies together is greater than one. Companies merge
with or acquire other companies to make use of one another’s strengths and these results in
increased market shares and profitability that are vital for survival. Mergers and acquisitions
enable companies to work as one and thus increase their total market value. In this paper, we have
discussed what mergers and acquisitions really are, their causes and their importance. We have
also described the ways to screen a potential target and the rationales behind mergers and
10. International Journal of BRIC Business Research (IJBBR) Volume 3, Number 1, February 2014
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acquisitions. This paper also discusses the types of mergers i.e. vertically integrated, horizontally
integrated and conglomeration. Next is the life-cycle of mergers and acquisitions. It begins with
inception and ends at post-implementation. Towards the end, we have discussed successful cases
studies of mergers and acquisitions for a better understanding of the paper.
Mergers and Acquisitions are becoming a means of survival and are not less than a competitive
weapon among business firms in today's world. Our paper discusses the importance of these and
contributes to the subject in that it discusses how business firms strategically and successfully
merge and/or acquire for mutual benefit. Our paper further discusses the strategies that firms can
adopt and reap benefits or merging and/or acquiring through business rationales, integration and
conglomeration. We aim to provide a consolidated paper having the stages, rationales and types
of mergers and acquisitions.
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