The McKinsey Quarterly

2009

• October 2009 

  Mastering sales force integration in a merger

  Companies can seize the opportunity in mergers by involving employees and customers in the integration process, retaining critical staff, generating momentum by quickly winning key accounts, and serving the right customers in the right way.

2008

• March 2008 

  Running a winning M&A shop

  Picking up the pace of M&A requires big changes in a company’s processes and organization—even if the deals are smaller.

  Includes:

• March 2008 

  The multilocal challenge: Managing cross-border functions

  Companies are learning to adapt their organizational design to capture cross-border synergies and to protect local sources of profitability.

• February 2008 

  Integrating steel giants: An interview with the ArcelorMittal postmerger managers

  The merger of two large, complementary companies presented an unusual challenge: sustaining growth as well as focusing on integration and cost savings.

2007

• April 2007 

  When Chinese companies go global: An interview with Lenovo’s Mary Ma

  CFO Ma describes the unique challenges awaiting Chinese companies that seek growth through international acquisitions.

2006

• December 2006 

  Are companies getting better at M&A?

  The latest boom in merger activity appears to be creating more value for the shareholders of the acquiring companies.

  Includes:

• November 2006 

  Successful mergers start at the top

  A cohesive top-management team is essential for integrating acquisitions successfully.

  Includes:

• November 2006 

  The elusive art of postmerger leadership

  Mergers that appear to be successful in the short term often destroy value later on. By concentrating on five issues, CEOs and top teams can increase the odds of a genuinely happy ending.

• August 2006 

  Helping China’s companies master global M&A

  As they go global, their hardest challenge is to integrate the management of their domestic and foreign businesses.

2004

• May 2004 

  Where mergers go wrong

  Most buyers routinely overvalue the synergies to be had from acquisitions. They should learn from experience.

2003

• November 2003 

  Tying the knot: IT systems in a merger

  Two senior J. P. Morgan Chase executives explain how a worldwide team set the stage for transforming the merged firm’s IT organization.

2002

• November 2002 

  Keeping your sales force after the merger

  Merging companies should look to their revenues, not just their costs.

2001

• November 2001 

  Why mergers fail

  Is the belief that mergers drive revenue growth a delusion?

2000

• November 2000 

  The hidden value in postmerger pricing

  Postmerger pricing can contribute as much as 30 percent of the value of all synergies realized by merger deals. Why is it usually neglected?

• November 2000 

  The people problem in mergers

  If key employees don’t feel that they have been kept in the loop after a merger, they will probably start honing their resumes.