What drives integration teams to achieve high integration process performance in absorption acquisitions? A configurational analysis

Integration process performance, capturing the extent to which integration teams realize their integration milestones, is significant in absorption acquisitions, because it constitutes an important intermediate step towards eventual M&A performance. Still, we know little about the conditions that motivate and enable integration teams to attain the goals of the post-acquisition integration process. Based on goal-setting theory, we suggest that integration process performance in absorption acquisitions depends on the fit among the ambitiousness of the cost and growth goals with which an integration team is tasked, the ampleness of integration team staffing, and the extent to which target firm employees are involved in integration planning. Fuzzy-set Comparative Analyses of 199 integration teams in 23 absorption acquisitions reveal three distinct configurations of these conditions that can engender high integration process performance. The results of this study extend research on post-acquisition integration by offering theory and fine-grained empirical evidence at the task-level of the integration process and provide helpful guidelines for managerial practice in acquisition integration in absorption acquisitions. We further outline the potential of configurational reasoning for the analysis of mergers and acquisitions, as a way to methodologically rejuvenate the field.