An investigation into the impact of culture in post-merger and post-acquisition integration in Ireland

McNevin, Killian (2024) An investigation into the impact of culture in post-merger and post-acquisition integration in Ireland. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

In Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), cultural integration is the process of two merging organisational cultures towards the formation of one entity. Large organisations all around have started using M&A activity more and more as they want to advance their organisational portfolios and competitive position on the market by entering new markets that give chances for their companies to reach corporate goals. Ireland has grown to be a major M&A hub in the past ten years. Its economy has been strong through the worldwide economic crisis brought on by COVID-19, Brexit, and the war in Ukraine; it has also kept out-prosper and outperformed that of its surrounding EU competitors. Up 48% from the equivalent period in 2022 and the second-highest total for that time in any of the past five years, the value of mergers and acquisitions involving Irish parties hit $33.3 billion during the first nine months of 2023 (Goodbody, 2023).

Ireland's business-friendly environment is well-known, and many business owners have been drawn to the nation's abundance of economic opportunities from both domestic and foreign investors looking to grow their company. With 405 mergers or acquisitions finalised in the state (225 of which involve foreign bidders), the total value comes to €11.3 billion (Sheridan, 2023). M&A execution can cost billions of euros, especially in relation to other cultures. But the success of these deals usually depends on the seamless cultural integration of many organisational cultures, attitudes, and practices—a difficult and dangerous process traditionally rife with challenges and uncertainty. Inappropriate cultural assessments before the M&A are one of the several reasons behind failures in M&As; research indicates a significant association between business performance and organisational culture (Angwin, 2020). These mistakes could have disastrous effects on the Irish economy among all the other affected parties.

This paper looks at the criticality of cultural integration in M&A success. It is grounded on different theoretical frameworks like Schein's concept of organisational culture and Hofstede's cultural aspects. Apart from a thorough analysis of pertinent literature, the study comprises qualitative interviews with target businesses from several sectors of the most important Irish economy.

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Supervisors:	Name Email MacDonald, Robert UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Culture; Merger and Acquisition; Cultural Integration; Integration Process Cultural Assessment; Organisational Culture; Change Management
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > Economics > Business H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Large Industry. Corporations. > Consolidation and Merger of Corporations D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain > Ireland H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Organisational Behaviour > Organisational Culture
Divisions:	School of Business > BA (Honours) in Business Studies
Depositing User:	Ciara O'Brien
Date Deposited:	26 May 2025 11:17
Last Modified:	26 May 2025 11:17
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/7647

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