Linking Merger and Acquisition Strategies to Postmerger Integration: A Configurational Perspective of Human Resource Management
The extant literature tends to frame mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and postmerger integration (PMI) as strategies and outcomes, but this framing often leaves their underlying processes underexplored. We address this gap by redirecting attention to the view that M&As are largely embedded in social and human practices. Our conceptual study identifies three generic M&A strategies annex assimilate, harvest protect, and link promote and matches them with three well known PMI outcomes (i.e. absorption, preservation, and symbiosis, respectively) Using a configurational perspective and drawing upon the ability motivation opportunity (AMO) model, we develop a conceptual framework that reveals why and how AMO enhancing human resource management (HRM) practices can link M&A strategies and PMI outcomes. Finally, we elaborate on the theoretical and practical contributions and chart a course for future inquiry and research applications for the M&A HRM PMI triad and its processes.