Survey: Companies Report Success Following Mergers

A U.S.-based survey by The Conference Board of human resources managers at 134 companies concludes that merger activity in the last decade has been largely successful. Two-thirds of the survey participants reported "very successful" or "successful" outcomes; while only one-third reported "less-than-successful" integration efforts. "Given the negative view of mergers often presented by consultants, scholars, and the media, the fact that firms are reporting a willingness and ability to cope with integration challenges is a positive, somewhat unexpected finding," says Lawrence Schein, senior fellow at The Conference Board. "Though spectacular M&A disasters receive a great deal of attention, most companies are experiencing integration success with better financial results." The survey showed that employees were involved in the merger process to a limited extent, while integration teams were used in nearly all surveyed companies. In most cases, buyer and seller representatives were highly involved in the integration teams. The Conference Board is a non-profit group dedicated to the compilation of objective business-related information.