Tamas Koplyay

Mergers and Acquisitions from the Perspective of Project Management

In this article we examine the dynamics of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) from the perspective of Project Management (PM). The concept of lifecycle model has been around for many years now, yet much is to be gained by applying the same concept and analysis to retrieve and shed the light on key factors and dependencies of M&A strategy within the Market Life Cycle (MLC), the Firm Life Cycle (FLC) and the Product life cycle (PLC) model. Firstly, we will revisit these three life cycles that M&A strategy depends on. The M&A strategic project is easier to implement if these cycles are in similar phases where PM plays an essential role in the M&A process. Then we will present the comparative literature of both PM and M&A success factors where we have found a substantial overlap between the two. The main contribution of this article is to reinforce the existing studies on M&A related studies while emphasizing the importance of PM processes to undertake M&A venture with focus on some of the critical factors deemed relevant in lifecycle approach when extrapolated to M&A project. The article draws upon an empirical database of M&A activity in the hi-tech sector developed by post-graduate students over several years.