Implementation Issues of Cross-border Acquisitions: Evidence from Scandinavia

This study investigates the impacts of main implementation activities on the success of cross-border acquisitions (CBAs) using the survey data from a sample of 103 CBAs conducted by the companies in Scandinavia. The results of regression analysis indicate that due diligence, integration extent, and retention of key employees are significant positive determinants of CBA success, while premium has significant negative impacts. Besides, it is interesting to find that temporal lag (i.e., the time span between the closing time and the start of the integration) has significant positive impact on the success, while acquisition experience exerts negative effect. However, the evidence does not support that planning and coordination will contribute to CBA performance.