Acquisition integration framework for technology enterprise : the human factor

Acquisitions are common in today’s business and people involved in acquisitions face challenges when they become part of this process. This thesis aims to provide an understanding of the human factors that determine the outcome of acquisition integration. Various frameworks exist in the literature that focuses on human and task integration as measures for success. In addition to these, the author explores an additional aspect, customer integration, as an important measure to determine overall integration success. Execution is the key to successful acquisition integration. Employees of a technology company were surveyed to gauge their acquisition experiences over three past acquisitions. The survey was a limited targeted case study that focused on analytical value, rather than statistical value. The survey data is analyzed and aligned with the literature data to identify some possible best practices the technology company could follow in future acquisitions. The survey results are used to establish the implications for the company’s acquisition process and to help the development of a playbook for acquisition integration.