Case Analysis Business Report Task In the contemporary management environment, mergers and…

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Case Analysis Business Report

Task

In the contemporary management environment, mergers and acquisitions are hot topics; particularly

as mergers and acquisitions are among the most commonly used strategies for growth. The pitfalls of

mergers are well known and well-studied in the management literature.

Yet, there are some fundamental challenges that organisations keep stumbling over. One of them is

integration. Preoccupation with due diligence and political factors surrounding merger negotiations too

often leaves a crucial piece in the merger puzzle left till it is too late – integration of cultures and

structures and people. It is well known today that poor results from mergers can so often be put down

to people issues.

In this major assessment you are asked to analyse the following case and answer the questions

below using a business report format. Further detail on the format of the business report are provided

below.

Case study: Who goes, Who stays?

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Questions

Using the knowledge that you have gained from the subject up to, and including, Topic 9, Managing

people, answer the following questions.

1. What conflicting values are at stake in the case? Identify and explain, using relevant

management theory and concepts. Contextualise your answer with reference to literature

on integration problems in mergers and acquisitions, with specific reference to people

issues.

2. Critique the process that is being applied to work out the details of the integration,

particularly with regard to structure and top management staffing using relevant

management theory and concepts. Ground your answer in evidence regarding people and

culture issues in merger integration studies.

3. How would you recommend the conflicting values be resolved?

4. What process would you recommend that the two senior executives and their HR people

follow to work out the details of integration in regard to the top structure?

5. Evaluate the usefulness of the management and organisational theories and practices from

the subject that you have applied in analysing the case