How Firms Cultivate Collaboration During Postmerger Integration of Technology Acquisitions

Abstract

Technology acquisitions are increasingly prevalent, but their failure rate is notoriously high. Although extant research suggests that collaboration may improve acquisition success, relatively little is known about how firms cultivate collaboration during postmerger integration (PMI) of technology acquisitions. Using inductive multiple-case methods, we address this gap. Our primary contribution is an emergent framework that sheds needed light on how firms cultivate successful collaboration postacquisition. Our study reveals three key mechanisms that help relieve collaboration bottlenecks stemming from geographic, motivational, cultural, and power-perception-related barriers. More broadly, our findings contribute to the literature on postmerger integration.