Joining Forces: Making One Plus One Equal Three in Mergers, Acquisitions, and Alliances

Chapter XII. Tracking and Learning from the Combination

To make a merger or acquisition work means learning how to translate theoretical synergies into real gains, how to recognize and deal with unintended consequences, and how to adapt to events as they unfold. Some of this learning comes from trial and error. But effective learning requires a front-end "theory of the case" about how a combination is expected to unfold, then ongoing examination of progress and problems, all within a context that supports reflection and continuous improvement. This is aided by the use of valid data and studied attention to it at each of the combination phases.

In some cases, the political climate prompts people to ignore issues that arise or cover up problems out ...