Integrating Technology Into Merger and Acquisition Decision Making
Integrating Technology Into Merger and Acquisition Decision Making
Integrating Technology Into Merger and Acquisition Decision Making
Abstract
Merger and acquisition (M&A) decisions tend to be dominated by financial
and business managers. However, given the growing importance of
technology and innovation to firm competitiveness and the on-going
importance of merger, acquisition and divestment activity, there are potential
gains to be made by acquirers from better integrating technology issues into
their M&A decision making. Not least it may help to avoid costly errors and
reduce the failure rate of M&As. More positively, it may help acquirers to
better realise value from the technological assets they acquire. Based on a
three year study of mergers and acquisitions involving some of the UK’s
leading companies, we consider some of the technology issues that are likely
to arise in the M&A process. We conclude by identifying four ways in which
managers might better integrate technology issues into M&A decision
making. 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Many of the issues which we deal with in this paper
564 TedmovtionVol.l9Nos.9/9
Integrating technology into merger and acquisition decision making
literature on the capabilities view of the firm that may absorb management resource with adverse
valuable capabilities are neither tradable not imitable effects and, where acquisition is financed through
but must, instead, be built-up slowly over time debt, the costs of debt servicing may well force a
(Diercikx and Cool, 1989; Barney, 1991). However, reduction in expenditure on R&D, marketing, and
the point about acquisition and divestment is that they other aspects of the existing business (Hitt et al.,
enable capabilities to be traded. In this way, mergers 1990, 1991a, b, 1996).
and acquisitions are a device for overcoming barriers
to growth, in the acquirer, the acquired business or For companies, effective management of tech-
both. At the same time, an important function of nology in mergers and acquisitions can influence
acquisitions and divestments is to provide a route to acquisition success or failure and the impact of acqui-
dispose of those activities, that, for whatever reason, sition on the innovative capabilities of the firm. This
no longer fit the strategy of the relevant business. In can be important even where technology is not the
so doing they greatly reduce the danger of sinking main motive for the acquisition. In such cases, poten-
expenditures in essentially irrecoverable investments. tial acquisition benefits may include technological
Indeed it is just this factor which underpins the ven- synergies through additions to the stock of the firm’s
ture capital support of new business activities. Effec- knowledge and transfer of that knowledge within the
tive management of disposals therefore represents a new combination. This may be particularly significant
way of realising value from technological assets that if, as Kodama argues, technology fusion is increas-
no longer fit the strategy of the relevant business. ingly important and innovations require the bringing
together of different knowledge bases rooted in differ-
There are, of course, an immense range of parti- ent technological traditions (Kodama, 1991). In
cular motives for acquisition and divestment but it addition, there may be efficiency gains from the better
seems that in very few the main motive is access to targeting of resources and cost savings through econ-
technology per se (Kitching, 1967; Chakrabarti, omies of scale and scope. Such efficiency gains have
1990). However, this does not imply that technology been important drivers of merger and acquisition
is an unimportant dimension of the acquisition pro- activity in, for instance, the pharmaceutical and agro-
cess. Quite the contrary, for the management of tech- chemical sectors (Houlder, 1997). Effective manage-
nological assets during and after the acquisition pro- ment of technology in merger and acquisition can help
cess may be a major task for managers irrespective the acquirer realise value from the technological
of the motives for the acquisition. Fundamentally, assets that it acquires and minimise some of the risks
technology issues may have far reaching conse- associated with acquisition (see Table 1).
quences for future strategy and may directly affect the
competitive position of the acquired business and its
new parent. As Goodman and Lawless observe, such 3. TECHNOLOGY ISSUES IN ME ACQUlSlTlON PROCESS
decisions at the interface of technology and strategy
can span long time frames and may be difficult to Despite their potential importance, however, tech-
change once commitments are made (Goodman and nology issues are often relegated to an examination
Lawless, 1994). Indeed, the very fact that technology of fixed assets and patent portfolios in decision mak-
is rarely a major motive presents problems as it is ing on merger, acquisition and divestment. There are
often therefore overlooked in the decision making a number of reasons why this may be the case.
process.
Jemison and Sitkin (1986) identify activity seg-
The potential negative effects of acquisition on mentation in M&A decision making as one impedi-
innovation at the firm level are well known. Many ment to acquisition success. There may be good
acquisitions fail. Poor post-acquisition management reasons, they argue, why the complexity of the activi-
by the acquirer can destroy the very innovative poten- ties surrounding an acquisition and the traditional
tial of the target that it sought to acquire. Whilst atten- roles of the participants lead to task segmentation.
tion here has often focused on the potentially negative The various groups of analysts and specialists may
effect of the acquisition of small high technology have very different perspectives that are difficult to
companies, it may equally be the case when larger integrate. Equally, the only participants with conti-
firms are acquired. If Michael Hitt and his colleagues nuity across acquisition stages are typically the senior
are right, there are opportunity costs associated with managers of the acquirer and the target whilst the
acquisition which may undermine innovation within other groups move in and out of the process as
the acquirer by diverting resources away from the required. Segmentation of this kind, argue Jemison
needs of its existing businesses. The particular and Sitkin, produces conceptually and operationally
demands of the post-acquisition implementation stage different analyses and a disproportionate attention to
Real& the objectives of the acquisition in terms of technology acquisition, Ensure accurate identification and assessment of the technological assets of the
technological synergies or efficiency gains target
Maxim& synergies between existing technological assets and acquired Avoid inaccurate valuation of the technological asSets of the target by making a
technological assets clear assesunent of the extent to which that value can be realised and enhanced
Control cost base after acquisition by ensuring that acquisition does not lead to through acquisition
the unnecessary duplication of technological assets Identify any environmental liabilities associated with the acquisition
strategic fit over organisational fit thereby decreasing given weight. Technology managers deal too
the possibility of successful post-acquisition combi- much in “soft” issues where it’s difficult to
nation of the business. In addition, M&A decisions ascribe a value. (Senior technology manager, UK
are often taken in conditions of secrecy and the acqui- Chemical Company).
sition team is likely to be under significant pressure
from senior management and shareholders. As Jemi- The contribution of technical staff is likely to differ
son and Sitkin observe, such pressures mean that depending upon the stage of the acquisition process.
rational decision making may give way to the “thrill Whilst, as we will go on to argue, it may be good
of the chase”. Such pressures mean that management practice to integrate technology issue into each stage
practice tends to emphasise “the deal” (see Macdon- of the acquisition process, we have found that in most
ald and James, 1998) and this, we propose, presents cases the role of technical staff is effectively limited
problems for the integration of technology into the to the due diligence and post-acquisition implemen-
decision making process. tation stages. In fact, they may well be expected to
manage the post-acquisition combination of the tech-
There are good reasons to think, given these cir- nological assets of acquirer and the acquired business
cumstances, that the nature of technology may make having had little input into the research and planning
it particularly difficult to integrate into M&A decision of the acquisition and the design of the post-acqui-
making. Issues related to the innovation process are sition management strategy. This may seem paradoxi-
characterised by uncertainty and rarely reducible to cal given that some notion of gains from post-acqui-
simple analysis. There are some aspects of the target’s sition technological synergies is often used as part of
technology that an acquirer can reasonably assess. It the justification for acquisition. Indeed, an explicit
may be relatively straightforward to come to a judge- value is commonly ascribed to the assumed benefits
ment on fixed assets and patent portfolios and it may of such synergy by the acquirer in its own valuation.
be possible to assess the skills of technical staff Yet, given the challenges of integrating technology
through their CVs and their standing in their pro- issues into M&A decision making, such rationales are
fessional peer community. However, issues that are often vague and incompletely thought through. In this
at the heart of the innovative performance of a firm, we concur with the observations of Foster and Kan-
not least its intangible knowledge assets, may be trow (1988). The experience of one of our case study
extremely difficult to evaluate. Acquisition of tech- companies is not uncommon.
nology involves far more than the transfer of owner-
ship of physical assets and codified technical infor- Superficially it appears that there were - and
mation in that it brings together organisations with are - significant synergies. However, introduc-
distinctive capabilities, values and styles. The caus- ing a relatively high tech component into estab-
ally ambiguous, context-dependent and tacit nature of lished low tech companies was very difficult.
capabilities and the routines that underpin them mean (Business development manager, UK Utility
that their evaluation is likely to be characterised by Company).
uncertainty. As a consequence, the nature of tech-
nology does not sit comfortably with the pressures of The influence of technical staff will, of course, vary
acquisition decision making to come up with quanti- depending on the size and motive for the acquisition.
fiable answers. In a relatively small technology-motivated acquisition
most of the stages may well be conducted by tech-
The views of technology managers and the nology managers with limited input from other func-
weight given to them are a long way down the tions. However, large acquisitions tend to be domi-
line. The focus is finance. Only when the tech- nated by financial and business managers even where
nology side can place a value on something is it there is a substantial technology component. Where
Tedmovation
vol.18Nos.8/9 567
to that of the business that it has acquired. Such hubris
5. ME POST-ACQUISITION PHASE
may not only lead the acquirer to overlook opport-
Underlying the traditional view of acquisitions is a unities for learning from the acquired business but it
presumption that the combination of distinctive firm may destroy the very innovative capacity that the
styles and the transfer of technological knowledge by acquirer has sought to buy. If, as the capabilities
change of ownership is possible, allowing pre-acqui- approach suggests, what the acquiring company is
sition valuations of the benefits of synergies and the buying is a bundle of routines and organisational and
like to be realised during the post-acquisition managerial processes embodied in teams of people
implementation stage. Yet there has been a growing then changing those routines after acquisition may
recognition of the importance of the post-acquisition present dangers. Knowledge generating routines are
implementation stage in relation to acquisition suc- likely to be fragile. Linkages with external (and
cess in general (Datta, 199 1; Haspeslagh and Jemison, indeed internal) sources of technological knowledge
1991) and to the innovative capacity of the acquired may be informal and often specific to individuals.
business in particular (Chakrabarti and Souder, 1987; Consequently the loss of key individual(s) during the
Gamsey and Roberts, 1990; James, 1997; Macdonald acquisition process may destroy such routines. The
and James, 1998). The experience of one leading UK importance of retaining key managerial and technical
utility company that we studied is not uncommon. personnel is emphasised by Chakrabarti (1990) who
found that the turnover of key managerial and techni-
We came in and didn’t take charge. We had a cal personnel following acquisition can negatively
wonderful opportunity to develop new products affect the performance of the acquired business.
in a niche market and kick the company up the Garnsey and Roberts (1990) suggest that, in the case
backside. We seemed to think that it was clever of acquisitions of small new technology firms by
simply buying the company. (Senior technology larger firms, any attempts to redesign a newly
manager, UK Utility Company). acquired unit to conform with existing corporate pat-
terns may create problems of staff retention and
The task during the post-acquisition stage is to undermine innovative capacity.
realise value from the acquired technological assets.
There are a number of potential difficulties that may This analysis has a number of important impli-
have to be faced. Cultural and organisational differ- cations. Crucially, acquisition may require significant
ences between the acquired business and its new par- and often unforeseen changes on the part of the
ent may be important. An acquisition brings together acquirer. This is a major conclusion of our case study
two organisations with distinctive identities, values work. All too often companies make the mistake of
and views of the business world they inhabit. These not appreciating that an acquisition may require as
are likely to have been generated by very different much, or indeed greater, change on their part as for
managerial and organisational processes and built-up the acquired business. The acquirer may need to
over time in response to the unique histories of those develop new organisational structures, new manage-
organisations. Unless carefully managed, the scope ment processes and a new culture. This may take time
for misunderstanding may be great. A firm’s distinc- and considerable effort. Acquisition may represent a
tive identity, its way of operating and its approach to significant growth in the company and its technologi-
business are unlikely to change easily or quickly after cal assets. It may add new product lines, new manu-
acquisition and inertia and even conflict may, as a facturing plants, new R&D centres and new techno-
consequence, characterise the implementation stage of logies. This may involve management of multi-site
the acquisition process. That inertia may exhibit a R&D operations, management of differing organis-
number of forms. Opposition to post-acquisition ational cultures and technology management across
changes in organisation may act as a barrier to the national borders. The scale of the organisational and
realisation of efficiency gains. A “Not Invented Here” managerial changes required will depend on the size
attitude on the part of staff in relation to technology and type of acquisition. Our case studies suggest that,
that is new to their business may present an obstacle in many acquisitions, this process will not occur over-
to realising potential technological synergies. night. Where companies have undertaken major inter-
national expansion the development of appropriate
All too often managers in the acquirer will lay the organisational structures and company culture takes
blame for any such problems at the feet of the busi- time and effort and is an evolving process of trial and
ness that they have acquired. This leads us to a dis- error learning.
cussion of another potential difficulty, namely the
common presumption on the part of the acquirer that Such changes are often undertaken against a back-
its management practices and technology are superior ground of pressure on managers to realise rapid
Conglomerate + + + +
Autonomy +++ + + +
Co-ordination +++ +++ ff ++
Integration ++ +++ +++ +++
Divestment + 0 0 0
570 Tedmovation
Vol.18Nos. 8/S
technological synergies through rationalisation and technology issues into M&A decision making? Our
combination of the acquired technological assets. The focus here is on how a would-be acquirer can best
benefits of these technological synergies and prepare for an acquisition. We believe that this must
efficiency gains are assumed to outweigh the potential begin with a recognition on the part of the acquirer
costs of this approach in terms of any loss of distinc- that the management of acquisitions and divestments
tive capabilities. The key management tasks include: is a firm competence which can confer competitive
creating a single technology strategy and organisation advantage. Acquisition managers must understand
across the whole post-acquisition combination; ident- that in the active market for corporate control that
ifying the strengths and weaknesses of the technologi- characterises the US and UK economy this com-
cal assets and capabilities of each organisation; and, petence can be every bit as important as those com-
the rationalisation and combination of those assets to petences related to the internal innovation process.
maximise synergies. There is likely to be a single Equally, they must understand that the capability to
technology strategy across the whole company with manage technology in acquisitions and divestments is
project definition and selection agreed at the corporate an important aspect of that competence. Managers
level. “Centres of excellence” may be established must also recognise that acquisition may require sig-
with company-wide responsibility for a particular nificant changes on the part of the acquirer as well
technology. In a trans-national company, the location as the acquired organisation and that post-acquisition
of such a centre may be influenced by the strengths management may require considerable managerial
of the science base of a particular country and the resource commitments.
scope to tap in to localised sources of specialist
knowledge. Over time, mobility of technical staff We have identified four ways in which managers
between the acquired business and other R&D centres can foster a capability in acquisition technology man-
within the new parent may be encouraged as part of agement.
their career progression to aid the transfer of tacit
knowledge. Integration requires potentially large (1) Chief Executives must recognise that technology
changes in the routines and capabilities of both the managers need to be appropriately equipped if
acquired company and the acquirer as technological they are to better contribute to acquisition
assets are rationalised and new routines and culture decision making. Technology managers need to
are created. be trained in skills that go beyond technical
specialisms and project management to include
5.5 Divestment general management and strategy and must
develop appropriate tools, methodologies and,
There are circumstances, most particularly in large
processes for technology management in M&A.
multi-business acquisitions, where divestment may
well be an appropriate route to realising value from
(2) Acquisition managers must see those responsible
for technology in terms of the contribution that
acquired technological assets. In particular, this may
they can make to technology strategy rather than
be the case where part or all of the technological
merely narrow technical questions. The tech-
assets of the acquired business are seen as surplus to
nology function’s role ought to include thinking
the requirements of the new parent because of dupli-
about the future direction of the company and the
cation of technological assets or because the tech-
role of acquisitions and divestments within that.
nology or business does not fit the future strategy of
In addition, if acquisition and divestment are part
the company. Equally, a major acquisition may lead
of the company’s on-going strategy, then the
to the divestment of some of the acquirer’s own estab-
technology function should be involved in the
lished businesses. Divestment may take the form of
search process.
the sale of specific technological assets (perhaps the
(3) The acquisition team must recognise that tech-
sale of an R&D centre or its spin-off through a man-
nology issues arise throughout the acquisition
agement buy out) or through the sale of a whole busi-
process and it is therefore important to involve
ness. Divestment requires the accurate valuation of
technology managers at each stage. This may lead
the technological assets and the identification of a wil-
to more realistic valuation and post-acquisition
ling purchaser.
strategy planning. Many forecast “synergies” turn
on a view of the efficiency gains that may be
6. INTEGRATlNG TECHNOLOGY INTO MERGER AND realised from rationalising production and R&D
facilities and/or the technological synergies that
ACQUlW’lON DECISION MAKING may result from new combinations of knowledge,
What lessons can be learnt from our case study skills and expertise. Wider involvement of tech-
research that might help companies better integrate nology managers may make these assessments
572 Te.dmovatiionVol.l9Nos.8/9
acquisitions: a process perspective. Academy of gence. Hawksmere Special Report, Thorogood,
Management Review 11, 145-163. London.
Kitching, J. (1967) Why do mergers miscarry?. Harv- Teece, D. J. and Pisano, G. (1994) The dynamic capa-
ard Business Review 45, 84-101. bilities of firms: an introduction. Industrial and
Kodama, F. (1991) Emerging Patterns of Innovation. Corporate Change 3, 537-556.
Harvard Business School Press, Boston MA. Weston, J. F., Chung, K. S. and Hoag, S. E. ( 1990)
Macdonald, S. and James, A. D. (1998) A dynamic Mergers, Restructuring and Corporate Control.
view of technology acquisition. International Prentice-Hall International, Englewood Cliffs NJ.
Journal of Technology Management (in press). Andrew James is a Research Fellow at PREST (Policy Research
Montgomery, C. (1995) Resource-based and Evol- in Engineering, Science and Technology) at the University of Manch-
ester. His research interests include technology management in merg-
utionary Theories of the Firm. Kluwer Aca- ers and acquisitions, technology strategy and innovation processes in
demic, Dordrecht. the firm and technology management and policy in the defence indus-
Nelson, R. R. and Winter, S. (1982) An Evolutionary try.
Theory of Economic Change. Belknap Press, Luke Georghiou is Professor of Science and Technology Policy
Cambridge MA. and Management at the University of Manchester and Executive Direc-
tor of PREST. His research interests include innovation management
Salter, M. S. and Weinhold, W. S. (1979) Diversij- and policy, evaluation of R&D, technology foresight and science pol-
cation Through Acquisition. The Free Press, icy.
New York. Stanley Metcalfe is Stanley Jevons Professor of Political Economy
Sanchez, R. Heene, A. and Thomas, H. (eds) (1996) and Cobden Lecturer at the University of Manchester, Executive
Dynamics of Competence-based Competition. Director of the ESRC Centre for Research on Innovation and Compe-
tition (CRIC), Manchester and a Director of PREST. His research
Elsevier Science, Oxford. interests include evolutionary economics, history of science and tech-
Smith, I. and Jewell, K. (1996) Commercial Due Dili- nology and science and technology policy.
573
Vd.l8Nos.8/9
Tedtnovatioit
Translations of abstracts
trois collaborateurs industriels dans trois secteurs Integrating technology into merger and
industriels differents. 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.
All rights reserved acquisition decision making
Andrew D. James, Luke Georghiou and J. Stan-
ley Metcalfe
Gefahrenherde in komplexen Produktssystemen: Ange-
legenheiten, die beim Management von Innovation auf- Technovation, 18(8/9) (1998), 563-573
tauchen
Comment integrer la technologie dans les prises de
decision sur les fusions et les rachats
Abriss
Komplexe Produkte und Systeme (CPS) spielen RisumC
eine zunehmend wichtigere Rolle ftir die okono-
mischen Aktivitaten von Firmen, Industrien und Les decisions sur les fusions et les rachats (M&
Nationen. Aufgrund von Veranderungen in Markten A) ont tendance a Ctre dominees par les directeurs
und Technologien hat es in den letzten Jahren eine financiers et commerciaux. Cependant, avec d’une
Verschiebung in Richtung CPS gegeben, besonders part l’importance croissante de la technologie et de
in fortgeschrittenen Industrienationen. Die Bedeutung l’innovation pour la competitivite des entreprises,
von CPS wurde jedoch erst vor kurzer Zeit erkannt d’autre part l’importance continue des fusions, des
und systematisch untersucht. Diese Arbeit konzent- rachats et des cessions, les acheteurs Cventuels peuv-
riert sich auf Probleme oder “Gefahrenherde”, denen ent realiser des gains importants avec une meilleure
Firmen bei der Entwicklung und Produktion von CPS integration des questions de technologie dans leurs
begegnen, und versucht, mehrere gemeinsame rote prises de decision en mat&e de fusions et de rachats.
Faden in sechs eingehenden Fallstudien zu finden, die En particulier, en les aidant a Cviter des erreurs
bei drei zusammenarbeitenden Firmen aus drei ver- comeuses et en reduisant les taux d’echecs dans les
schiedenen Bereichen der Industrie durchgeftihrt fusions et les rachats. De facon plus positive, cela
wurden. 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights pourrait aider les acheteurs a optimiser la valeur
reserved realisee dans le patrimoine technologique qu’ils acqu-
ierent. Sur la base d’une etude de trois ans sur des
fusions et des rachats interessant plusiers d’entre les
principales entreprises britanniques, nous examinons
‘Puntos calientes’ en 10s sistemas de productos com- certains questions technologiques susceptibles d’etre
plejos: temas emergentes en la gestion de la innova- soulevees dans le processus des fusions et des rachats.
Enfin, nous concluons en identifiant quatre fa$ons qui
cion permettent aux directeurs de mieux integrer les ques-
tions de technologie dans les prises de decision dans
les fusions et les rachats. 0 1998 Elsevier Science
Ltd. All rights reserved
Resumen
Zur Integration von Technologie in die Entscheidungs-
Los Productos y Sistemas Complejos (CPS)
tienen una importancia creciente en las actividades fillung bei fusionen und Akquisitionen
economicas de las empresas, las industrias y las
naciones. Debido a 10s mercados y a las tecnologias
cambiantes, se ha visto una tendencia en 10s tiltimos Abriss
arias de acercamiento a 10s CPS, especialmente en las
naciones industrializadas avanzadas. Hate poco, sin Entscheidungen zu Fusionen und Akquisitionen
embargo, que se ha reconocido y que se investigue (M&A) werden tiberwiegend von Finanz- und Ge-
sistematicamente la importancia de 10s CPS. Se schaftsmanagern dominiert. Angesichts der wach-
enfocan aqui 10s problemas o ‘puntos calientes’ senden Bedeutung von Technologie und Innovation
experimentados por las empresas en el desarrollo y la fur die Wettbewerbsfahigkeit einer Firma und der
production de 10s CPS. Se intenta identificar varios fortdauemden Bedeutung von Fusionen, Akquisi-
temas comunes que aparecen en seis cases de estudio tionen und Ubertragungsvertragen gibt es jedoch
a fondo llevados a cabo en tres empresas colabora- potentielle Vorteile fur die Kaufer, wenn sie Aspekte
doras industriales abarcando tres sectores industriales der Technologie besser in ihre Entscheidung zu M&
distintos. 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights A integrieren. Nicht zuletzt konnte dies helfen, teure
reserved Fehler zu vermeiden und die Versagensrate von M&
Tedmovatiot~
Vol.
18Nos.N-9 591