Post-acquisition integration of employees : a case study of Norsk Hydro
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/217084Utgivelsesdato
2013Metadata
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Sammendrag
This study explores and investigates the integration of employees after a cross-border
acquisition has been signed and closed. An exploratory study of Norsk Hydro has been
conducted using a qualitative research design, with five in-depth interviews of employees
from Norsk Hydro and from the organization’s divisions in Germany and Brazil.
The number of cross-border acquisitions have increased in the past decades as a way of
companies to renew their competitive positions in the global market. With an acquisition
comes a difficult integration process, and previous research has shown that many cross-border
acquisitions fail due to value differences, procedural differences, and differences in
communication styles.
The empirical findings of this study has identified several factors that has impact on the social
aspects of an integration process. An extended model has been presented that illustrates how
these factors are linked to each other and how they together can facilitate for a successful
integration of employees, if managed properly. The findings are relevant for managers in
organizations who are undergoing cross-border acquisitions, and for employees that have to
integrate with a new organization.