The Human Side of M & A

In this summary you will learn

• Why some mergers succeed and some fail
• How corporate culture may determine whether a merger succeeds
• Which "human factors" to consider when negotiating a merger
• Why you should use incentives to retain executive talent

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Why you should read The Human Side of M & A

During the 1990s, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) hit a historic high. Yet academic research confirms what anecdotal evidence suggested: most mergers do not work. Authors Dennis C. Carey and Dayton Ogden (writing with Judith A. Roland) contend that most mergers fail because of mismanagement and neglect of the merged company’s "soft side" - the cultural and human dimension. They draw on their experiences as human resource consultants to outline a strategy for assessing people, creating vision, integrating mergers and addressing the soft side’s hard problems. getAbstract finds that the book’s greatest strength is its interviews with executives and other insiders who have direct experience with high-profile mergers, both successes and failures. If you are an executive or human resources manager in a company on either side of a merger - or if you think you’ll find yourself in that position in the future - read this book before you sign that deal.

About the Authors

Dayton Ogden is the chairman and Dennis C. Carey the vice chairman of a leading executive search firm. They are co-authors of CEO Succession.