A value-based and human-centered approach to mergers and acquisitions: the case of a high-tech company

The present chapter is focused on the study of organizational change, and particularly of post-Merger & Acquisition (M&A) processes, in order to shed light on the hidden and soft factors that may facilitate or hinder the emerging of the “humanistic organization”. The classic managerial approaches to M&A change management processes are prevalently focused on financial performance and structural aspects of change (see, for example, DePamphilis 2009). However, many post-M&A change management processes fail (Cartwright and Schoenberg 2006) because of the lack of attention to the human and cultural sides of change management (Nguyen and Kleiner 2003; Mitleton-Kelly 2005; PricewaterhouseCoopers 2010). In order to achieve a deeper understanding of a sustainable, human-centered and participatory approach to change management and how this may positively contribute to post-M&A change management processes, this chapter will illustrate an empirical study of a high-tech Company operating in the Italian market. The case study is focused specifically on the analysis of the change management and communication processes that followed the acquisition of this knowledge intensive high-techCompany by a Multinational Business Group.